Army Launches ‘Star Wars’ Test Missile From Hawaii

Despite last-ditch efforts by protesters, the Army successfully launched a test of the “Star Wars” missile system Friday from a remote beach on the island of Kauai.

The Army used helicopters and four-wheel-drive vehicles to clear a 1,700-acre “hazard zone” near the launch pad, but at least two people who were hiding in nearby dunes escaped detection, said Ken Stokes, a spokesman for the protesters. Nineteen protesters had been arrested Wednesday, and two more were taken into custody Friday on trespassing charges.

The Pacific Missile Range Facility’s launch pad is surrounded by the Nohili Dunes, an ancient Hawaiian burial site, and some Hawaiians consider it sacred. Others oppose the test of the Strategic Target System (STARS) on environmental grounds, although a study by the Army found that it posed no hazard.

The STARS test involves unarmed, refurbished Polaris missiles. They are fired downrange in an effort designed to test the military’s ability to detect incoming enemy missiles. The program is considered a crucial part of the Strategic Defense Initiative, commonly known as “Star Wars.”

The three-stage guided missile that was fired Friday traveled 2,000 miles in 18 minutes before landing in the Pacific north of Kwajalein Atoll. Its path was tracked by radar and other sensors located at the base, aboard aircraft and at Kwajalein.

Protests and lawsuits have stalled the project for nearly three years, and officials were elated to get the first test successfully off the ground.

“The program has come under a lot of scrutiny and a lot of public attention,” said Lt. Col. Gus Manguso, product manager for STARS. “I’m very pleased to prove the capabilities of the system.”

Some residents support the launches as an economic boon to their island’s troubled economy, which is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Iniki. But STARS has touched a raw nerve among Hawaiian activists. The land on which the launch pad sits is supposed to be held by the state in trust for native Hawaiians, and the remains of their ancestors are buried in its rolling dunes.

“Would we be launching these missiles from the Arlington National Cemetery?” asked Elizabeth Freeman, head of Responsible Citizens for Responsible Government.

A second launch is planned for this summer.