LIHU'E, Kaua'i — The Missile Defense Agency this week will conduct a test off the Pacific Missile Range Facility of an Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program rocket with nose-cone electronics developed by Japan.

Unlike previous tests, this one — named Joint Control Test Vehicle-1 — will use a simulated target programmed into the rocket's computers rather than a real target launched from the ground.

The Aegis cruiser USS Lake Erie, which will be at sea off Kaua'i, will track the virtual missile and launch a Standard Missile-3 that is fitted with the Japanese-built clamshell nose cone. The instrumentation in the nose cone includes heat sensors, three cameras, telemetry equipment for sending data back to the ground and equipment to measure the shock experienced by the warhead.

Components in the system were developed by Raytheon and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The U.S.-Japan cooperative research effort in ballistic missile defense started in 1999.

The Missile Defense Agency has conducted seven previous launches, all against actual rocket targets. Six of those resulted in intercepts. The most recent test, on Nov. 17, 2005, involved an intercept of a separating target. Previous tests were against single-stage, nonseparating targets.