Pentagon: Missile interceptor test fails

The Defense Department on Friday reported that a test of a system meant to defend against long-range ballistic missiles failed.

{mosads}”Program officials will conduct an extensive review to determine the cause or causes of any anomalies which may have prevented a successful intercept,” the Defense Department said in a statement.

It’s not the first time the ground-based midcourse defense system was tested. Reuters reported that the ground-based midcourse interceptor defense system had previously been tried 16 times. The system worked eight times.

The Defense Department said the failed test would not stop the U.S. from continuing a plan to add 14 new anti-ballistic missile interceptors. The added interceptors are expected to cost $1 billion.

The dozen-plus interceptors would supplement the 26 interceptors the United States already has deployed at multiple military bases. Currently, there are four interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and ten at Fort Greely in Alaska.

The missile target that the interceptor was supposed to hit was launched from the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the interceptor was shot out from Vandenberg Air Force Base.