US warship shoots down a medium-range ballistic missile in a test
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said the USS Paul Jones shot down a medium-range ballistic missile launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in a test off Hawaii on Wednesday. The warship's radar detected and tracked the target before intercepting it with SM-6 missiles.
MDA Director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves said the test marked a "key milestone,” although it did not ease the tension caused by North Korea’s launch of a Hwasong-12 ballistic missile over Japan this week. Wednesday, Pyongyang released more details about its launch test with a video tape. Kim Jong-un said that more ballistic missile rocket launching drills are necessary to modernize his military’s strategic capabilities.