*EPF402 07/06/00
Defense Department Report, Thursday, July 6
(Missile Defense Test) (530)

PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR JULY 7 NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE TEST

Navy Rear Admiral Craig Quigley told reporters at the regular Pentagon briefing July 6 that the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) and lead contractor Boeing are putting all the appropriate people in position and carrying out last-minute monitoring operations of the key systems that will be used for the fifth National Missile Defense test. The systems "are ready to go" mechanically, he said.

There is a four-hour window of opportunity for the test on July 7, and it is expected to occur shortly after 10 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The deputy spokesman said this is the last planned test before Defense Secretary William Cohen must make his Defense Readiness Review (DRR) recommendation to President Clinton about the future of the program. The DRR will take into account two critical factors: the technical feasibility of NMD and the projected costs of the program. The DRR will not make a determination about two other key criteria that the president has pledged to consider in making his decision: the nature of the threat and the current status of the international security environment, including the effect of the pending decision on arms control and the reaction of American allies.

While it will be clear almost immediately whether or not the interceptor hits its target during the flight test, Quigley said there will then be a "data reduction period," which will last approximately 7 to 14 days. Information gleaned during this period will be needed by Cohen for his recommendation to the President, which will be made "in the next several weeks," the deputy spokesman said.

In the meantime, BMDO Director Air Force Lieutenant General Ronald Kadish will make a statement and answer questions from reporters at the Pentagon immediately following the test. While acknowledging that this test is important, Quigley pointed out that "there are many tests yet to come."

He said NMD is a "progressive test program." This particular test sets out to evaluate the feasibility of the technology "as a package," Quigley said, but he emphasized that NMD "is not a static system." There are still 16 more tests scheduled before a decision can be made to deploy the system fully.

Asked to comment on allegations by critics suggesting that this is more of a demonstration than a test, Quigley disagreed. "This is a test," he said.

During a Defense Department background briefing held later July 6 on Cohen's upcoming trip to China and Australia, a senior Defense Department official said he expects the issue of National Missile Defense to be a topic of discussion during the secretary's meetings in Beijing July 12-13. While acknowledging that the subject is a matter of concern to China, he said U.S. officials are not planning to organize a special NMD briefing for the Chinese. However, the official did say Cohen will be in a position to discuss the results of the latest test results with them.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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