Missile Wars
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quiz - missile test

How much do you know about missile defense?

(1) If an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) armed with a nuclear warhead were fired at a U.S. city tomorrow, how would the U.S. military defend against it?

A. High-powered lasers deployed in space would destroy the missile in its "boost" phase, just minutes after it is launched.

B. The U.S. Air Force would launch an interceptor missile to destroy the warhead in the "midcourse" phase of its flight, before it re-enters the earth's atmosphere.

C. The U.S. Navy would intercept the missile in its "terminal" phase, as it re-enters the atmosphere, using a submarine-based anti-ballistic missile system.

D. None. The U.S. does not have an operational missile-defense system to protect against ICBMs fired at its territory.

(2) As of October 2002, how many countries are known to possess intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of striking the United States?

A. More than 25

B. 5-10

C. Two

D. None

(3) Of the three countries that President Bush has named as part of an "axis of evil," which one has successfully tested a three-stage, long-range missile?

A. Iran

B. Iraq

C. North Korea

D. None

(4) Between October 1999 and October 2002, the U.S. conducted six flight-intercept tests (also known as "hit to kill" tests) of the ground-based midcourse missile-defense system now in development. In how many of these tests was the mock enemy warhead successfully destroyed?

A. None

B. Only two tests have been successful.

C. Four of the six tests were successful.

D. All six were successful.

(5) What percentage of President George W. Bush's proposed defense budget for fiscal year 2003 is dedicated to missile defenses?

A. 33 percent

B. 24 percent

C. 13 percent

D. 2 percent


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