Navy test kills 2 missiles off Kauai at once

BARKING SANDS, Kauai » The Navy's ballistic missile defense system successfully destroyed two targets at the same time in yesterday's test off the Pacific Missile Range Facility, officials said.

The Pearl Harbor-based USS Lake Erie was able to fire two missiles that destroyed two nonseparating Scud-type missiles launched from the missile facility.

The two targets were launched within seconds of each other just after 6 p.m. yesterday, and were destroyed by two missiles launched from the Aegis-class cruiser four minutes later more than 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean and 250 miles off Kauai.

It's the 10th and 11th successful intercepts in 13 tries for the Aegis system, the Navy's sea-based component of the ballistic missile defense system.

The Army's missile defense program, the Theater High Altitude Area Defense system, had a successful test off the missile facility just two weeks ago.

Yesterday's test marks the first time two ballistic missiles were destroyed simultaneously. In the previous Aegis test off Kauai in April, the Lake Erie was "attacked" by a cruise missile from another ship as a ballistic missile was launched from the base.