A June 18 sea-based missile defense test failed in an attempt to intercept its target.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) issued a news release soon after an SM-3 interceptor missile, launched from an Aegis cruiser (the USS Lake Erie) in the Pacific Ocean, failed to hit an Aries target missile which was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii.

In a news release issued prior to the test, MDA said the main mission of Aegis ballistic missile defense Flight Mission-5 (FM-5) was "to evaluate the SM-3 kinetic warhead's guidance, navigation and control operation in space using an upgraded solid divert and attitude control system (SDACS). Following the test, MDA indicated that the mock warhead deployed, but the intercept did not occur as expected.

FM-5 is the second in a series of six flight tests to develop a sea-based ballistic missile defense against short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Three earlier sea-based tests met MDA expectations.

It was the first test to fail since the Bush administration announced in December 2002 that it would field land-based defenses by September 2004: six interceptors in Alaska and four in California.

The smaller sea-based interceptors are scheduled for deployment in 2005.

Now MDA and Navy officials, as well industry experts from Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, will analyze the June 18 flight test data and use the analysis to improve the Aegis ballistic missile development and testing program.