China conducts mid-course missile interception test

Beijing, April 15

China said on Saturday it carried out a successful ground-based mid-course missile interception test in an apparent sign of progress in its ability to bring down weapons incoming from space.

The Defence Ministry says the operation was carried out late Friday night within Chinese territory and achieved “the desired test objective.” The test was “defensive in nature and not targeted against any country,” the ministry said, giving no other details such as whether it actually struck an object, how many interceptors were fired and where they landed.

Such systems, which consist of ground-based interceptor missiles and a huge array of radars and fire control systems, aim to bring down ballistic missiles, including ICBMs carrying nuclear or other warheads, while they are flying in space midcourse on the way to their targets.

Referred to by the US as ground-based mid-course defence, or GMD, such systems are hugely complex and expensive to build, test and maintain. Such “kinetic-kill” interceptors can also be used as anti-satellite weapons, and China sparked considerable criticism when it used such a missile to destroy a defunct Chinese weather observation satellite in early 2007. — AP

US has deployed 44 interceptors

• The US has 44 interceptors deployed at Fort Greely, Alaska and the Vandenberg Air Force Base, California
• That is enough to counter any attack from North Korea, which is developing missiles that could strike the continental US