LIHU'E, Kaua'i — The Missile Defense Agency, midway through its test yesterday, scrubbed a proposed two-target intercept after the first interceptor missile failed to launch.

This latest trial in the Navy's testing of anti-ballistic missile technology is to be rescheduled next year, said Chris Taylor, public affairs officer for the Missile Defense Agency.

In this test, the most complex to date in the series, the Aegis-class cruiser USS Lake Erie was to identify and launch against twin threats: a ballistic missile headed for a presumed allied target and a cruise missile headed toward the ship itself

"A primary test objective was a near-simultaneous launch of two missiles against two different targets," the agency said in a press release.

The test started with the launch of a single-stage ballistic missile target from the ground at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, and the launch of a cruise missile from an aircraft that had flown from the facility's airfield. The Lake Erie was to identify, track and launch against both: a Standard Missile-2 against the cruise missile and a Standard Missile-3 against the ballistic missile target.

Three ships were at sea off Kaua'i to participate in the test: the Lake Erie, the USS Hopper and the Dutch navy frigate Tromp. All three successfully detected and tracked the targets.

But aboard the Lake Erie, an incorrect setting prevented the ship from launching its first missile. The second launch was immediately canceled, since the point of the test was near-simultaneous firings.

The ballistic missile target fell to sea and presumably sank. The cruise missile was recovered.

Reach Jan TenBruggencate at jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.