Pentagon official faults U.S. missile defense

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon's weapons tester says he doesn't have "high confidence" that the Boeing-managed U.S. missile defense would be effective against even a rudimentary North Korean missile.

Testing against the possible trajectories and altitudes of a North Korean missile has been limited and hasn't generated enough data to run the thousands of computer simulations needed to predict performance, Charles McQueary wrote in his annual report to Congress.

The U.S. is concerned about the potential for North Korea to develop missiles capable of reaching Alaska or even the western coast of the American mainland.

Defense analysts presume that any missile fired successfully by North Korea would carry decoys intended to fool interceptor warheads. According to McQueary, the U.S. defense probably wouldn't be effective even without the distraction of decoys.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., who heads one of the panels that approves funding for missile defense, said McQueary's assessment is "troubling" and "not surprising."

McQueary will testify today before a House Armed Services Committee panel that is reviewing the missile-defense program. U.S. Government Accountability Office and Missile Defense Agency officials will also testify. The agency last year estimated the ground-based program would cost at least cost $37.3 billion.

The U.S. since mid-2004 has placed 24 interceptors in silos at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. That number will grow to 44 interceptors.

Jessica Carlton, spokeswoman for Boeing, said the company's track record of eight successful intercepts in 13 attempts, including a test on Dec. 5, indicates a system "ready to defend the U.S. homeland."