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Missile defence technology still immature: GAO
Washington, June 05: US President George W Bush`s drive to erect a nationwide anti-missile system next year `is hampered by immature technology and limited testing, raising the risk of failure,` General Accounting Office, the investigating arm of Congress, has warned.
Washington, June 05: US President George W Bush's drive to erect a nationwide anti-missile system next year "is hampered by immature technology and limited testing, raising the risk of failure,” General Accounting Office, the investigating arm of Congress, has warned.
GAO, widely respected for its non-partisan approach and independence, also criticized the administration yesterday for refraining from making long-term cost estimates for many elements of the planned system, including decisions about what technologies to pursue.
The GAO in a report said that the bush directive to build the system by 2004 has placed the pentagon's missile defence agency "in danger of getting off track early and introducing more risk into the missile defence effort over the long term."
Because of the time pressures, the report said, the planned system contains components "that have not been demonstrated as mature and ready" for incorporation with other elements.
Critics have accused president bush of short-cutting normal Pentagon testing and budgeting procedures to have an anti-missile weapons in place before the next presidential decision.
But dismissing these criticisms as politics, the administration has insisted that the tests so far have confirmed the viability of the basic concept behind the system, namely launching missile interceptors into space to collide with enemy warheads.
Bureau Report
The GAO in a report said that the bush directive to build the system by 2004 has placed the pentagon's missile defence agency "in danger of getting off track early and introducing more risk into the missile defence effort over the long term."
Because of the time pressures, the report said, the planned system contains components "that have not been demonstrated as mature and ready" for incorporation with other elements.
Critics have accused president bush of short-cutting normal Pentagon testing and budgeting procedures to have an anti-missile weapons in place before the next presidential decision.
But dismissing these criticisms as politics, the administration has insisted that the tests so far have confirmed the viability of the basic concept behind the system, namely launching missile interceptors into space to collide with enemy warheads.
Bureau Report