Rocket knocks mock missile
In a “critical milestone” for the United States’ defensive missile system, the military for the first time intercepted an intercontinental-range missile Tuesday in a test launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The test comes amid heightening
The U.S. military on Tuesday intercepted an intercontinental range missile for the first time, a key test of its missile defense system amid heightening tensions with North Korea.
The successful test represented a “critical milestone” for the Pentagon’s defensive missile system, said Navy Vice Adm. Jim Syring, director of the Missile Defense Agency.
The interceptor was launched from a silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and struck the test missile fired from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific, the Missile Defense Agency said. The test was a major challenge because an intercontinental ballistic missile flies faster than a shorter-range missile.
Before Tuesday, the U.S. military had conducted 17 tests of its missile defense system. Nine were successful.
North Korea’s nuclear ambitions have injected a new sense of urgency to building a defense system because of the actions of its unpredictable leader, Kim Jong Un, who is trying to develop a long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and reaching the U.S. mainland.
President Trump has vowed to prevent that from happening and has leaned on China, North Korea’s closest ally, to use its political and economic leverage to persuade Kim to halt his weapons program.
On Monday, North Korea tested a short-range missile that flew about 280 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan.
It was the latest in a string of North Korean missile tests, including two that exploded shortly after launch. The country hasn’t yet developed a missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland, but the Pentagon believes North Korea is getting closer to that goal. “We always assume that with a testing program they get better with each test,” Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told CBS News on Sunday.
During the Cold War, President Reagan vowed to develop a “Star Wars” satellite-based missile defense system. But progress was slow, and opponents warned that an effective defense against the Soviet Union’s missile arsenal might invite a first strike before a system was perfected.
David Maxwell, associate director of the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University, said, “It’s much easier to launch a missile than it is to shoot one down.”