T
he Missile Defense Agency said that a ground-based interceptor missile launched from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., successfully intercepted a target missile launched from Kodiak, Alaska. According to an MDA release, “Initial indications are that the rocket motor system and the kill vehicle performed as designed.” The exercise also tested the Upgraded Early Warning Radar at Beale AFB, Calif., the Sea-Based X-band radar, and SPY-1 radar aboard an Aegis ballistic missile defense ship.
All 12 American bombers deployed in Britain rapidly returned to the U.S. on Oct. 4 following security concerns about a potential Iranian threat to their base in the U.K.