Upgraded Missile Killer Fizzles In First Test

The Sept. 1 failure of Raytheon’s new SM-3 IB ballistic missile killer to intercept a target during its first end-to-end flight test is the latest disappointment for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) flight-test program.

The SM-3 IB is an upgrade to the SM-3 IA interceptor now deployed on ships patrolling around the world, especially ...