[19990914]98-751_导弹防御： Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Flight Testing.pdf

For an assessment of global ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction1proliferation, see Robert Shuey, Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Weapons andBallistic Missiles: the State of Proliferation, CRS Report 98-103.Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS Web98-751 FUpdated September 14, 1999Missile Defense: Theater High Altitude AreaDefense (THAAD) Flight Testing(name redacted)Specialist in National DefenseForeign Affairs, Defense, and Trade DivisionSummaryAfter two successful intercepts in June and August 1999, the Pentagon announcedit would scrap the remaining THAAD flight tests and proceed to the EMD (Engineeringand Manufacturing Development) phase. Doing so, the Pentagon and others argue,would save some money and expedite THAAD deployment somewhat. THAADsupporters argue that these intercepts have validated the systems major componentsand that the systems near-term deployment is now a possibility. Critics continue to arguethat THAADs checkered test legacy over a controlled test range is insufficient for theprogram to move forward with high confidence and caution that costly system fixes maylie in store for THAA