In spite of Defence Minister Hill leaking the fact that a test had occurred.  A Boeng lied, Raytheon assisted Australian missile interception test has been announced as a success by the Pentagon.

 The test involved, from what Mr Hill said previously the JORN over-horizon radar network control centre in Adelaide. 

 This announcement from the Pentagon tells all..

 [Extract from today's Advertoser]

The latest test in the Pacific was designed chiefly to evaluate the
performance of the interceptor missile's rocket motor system and
Raytheon Co-built "exoatmospheric kill vehicle", the bit designed to
smash into the target warhead and pulverise it in space, MDA said.

It also successfully tested, among other things, silo support equipment, the agency said.

Last February, a ground support arm in the silo malfunctioned because
of hinge corrosion caused by what MDA later said had been "salt air
fog" that entered the underground silo.

Boeing said in a statement that the interceptor will be flown against a live target in subsequent tests.

The flight test yesterday validated the system's ability to track,
acquire and provide the interceptor with the data for a "hit-to-kill"
intercept, Chicago-based Boeing said.

All told, the United States is spending roughly $US9 billion ($11.95
billion) a year to develop a layered missile shield, including
components based at sea and in space. The shield is designed to knock
out the type of ocean-leaping missile that could be tipped with a
nuclear, chemical or germ warhead.

Other big contractors in the project include Orbital Sciences Corp,
which builds booster rockets, and Northrop Grumman Corp, which is
developing battle management, fire-control and communications software.

Lockheed Martin Corp builds the Aegis ballistic missile defence system at the heart of the shield's ship-based comp

 

I must admit, when I read this last night, and linked it to HIll's discussion of the use of Adelaide as a missile shield base, I was a tad despondent.  Still am.   I had begun this blog with a vain hope that publicising information might cushion the impact of an irreversible situation.  But with the troops, warships, unmanned planes, long-range radar systems, tank and missile refurbishments  all out in the open now, there's not much left to do but think about moving out of town.