Historic Launch on Kauai

Very few people know much of anything about PMRF – Pacific Missile Range Facility – and even fewer know what goes on there. Most seem to think it is a defensive facility ready to spring to the aid of our Nation should we come under attack. This is NOT the case! PRMF is primarily a testing and training facility and is, in fact, the largest instrumented range capable of supporting surface, subsurface, air, and space operations simultaneously. But more on that in a later blog.

What I want to tell you now is that yesterday, Monday December 17th there was a successful historic launch/intercept of a ballistic missile. What made it historic? For the first time in missile defense history the ship attempting (and completing) the intercept was Japanese and not U.S. Yesterday, Japan’s JS Kongo became the only allied naval ship to intercept a ballistic missile target.

This event was so significant, there was front page coverage in The Garden Island on Sunday, announcing “Japan to attempt missile intercept from ship off Kauai” and similar front page coverage again on Tuesday stating simply “Mission Accomplished.” Mind you, there have been 11 similar launches at PMRF this year, but none of those had coverage like this one did, if at all.

As reported in TGI – “This was a monumental event in the Japan-U.S. security relationship” said Senior Vice Minister of Defense Akinori Eto following the event, which was attended by about a dozen Japanese media members. “We consider this a major, major milestone and a major achievement,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry “Trey” Obering, Missile Defense Agency director.

“Japan’s interest in missile defense dates back 15 years, when it first commissioned an Aegis warship. In 2003, Japan decided to upgarde its capabilities, in part because of the missile launched from North Korea in 1998. To read the complete Garden Island article seen in the Tuesday edition, click here.

Who would have thought such big happennings were going on here on little ol’ Kauai!

Aloha Elaine

Elaine Schaefer (R, GRI, ABR)
Broker in Charge – Princeville Resort Office
Graduate, Realtor’s Institute
Accredited Buyer’s Representative
Top Producer 100% Club

RE/MAX Kauai
Princeville Resort Office
POB 223632
Princeville, HI 96722
cell: 808 639 2935
home fax: 1 808 440 4552
email:soldonkauai@yahoo.com
website: www.kauairealestatenow.com
blog: www.blogs.alohaliving.com/princeville-condo-sales

……you can have your own piece of

December 19th, 2007