The U.S. Navy successfully intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile in a military drill on Thursday.
The test was conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and aimed to demonstrate the capability of a ballistic missile defense ship to "detect, track, engage, and intercept a medium range ballistic missile target."
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"This was an incredible accomplishment and key milestone for the Sea-based defense program," said Missile Defense Agency Director Vice Adm. Jon Hill.
He continued, "This test proved our capabilities in an operationally realistic scenario, which is a critical step in increasing capability to outpace emerging threats. My congratulations to the entire test team, including our Sailors and our industry partners, who helped us to achieve this milestone."
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An image provided by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency shows the illuminated arch of the missile used to strike the target.
The missile was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauuai, Hawaii. The ship that successfully destroyed the missile — USS Daniel Inouye — fired two SM-6 Dual II missiles to successfully intercept the target.
