The Defense Department says Barking Sands on Kauai is the best place to test missile defense systems. The range is also a boon to Kauai’s economy, a training ground for aspiring engineers, and a safe-haven for endangered species.
The liftoff of a ballistic missile from Barking Sands triggers a three-minute war game – launch the target, shoot it down.
“It’s like hitting a bullet with a bullet. It’s rocket science,” said systems coordinator Dr. Eric Hedlund.
The Pacific Missile Range Facility, or PMRF, sits on a seven-mile stretch of coastline along Kauai’s western edge.
“It’s the only place that has the battle space that we need on an operationally realistic environment,” U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Brad Hicks said. He heads up the nation’s Missile Defense Agency.
The site isn’t much to look at unless you’re into rockets and radar. Apparently, a lot of people are.
“We have about 70 military people here and the rest, about 800 or so, are civilians,” said Capt. Aaron Cudnohufsky, PMRF commanding officer.
Those 800 civilians are mostly from Kauai, they pack parachutes, program targets that mimic cruise missiles or enemy aircraft, and execute the exercises that fine-tune America’s missile defense.
(Source: Jim Mendoza, KGMB 9 News)
