The United States has successfully tested a missile defense system aimed at thwarting a limited, long-range ballistic missile attack.
A ground-based interceptor missile was launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands against a simulated target.
The simulation was based on a hypothetical missile launch from Kodiak, Alaska, using data from previous launches.
The interceptor failed to launch in the last two tests.
The latest test was designed chiefly to evaluate the performance of the interceptor missile, which is designed to smash into the target warhead and pulverize it in space.
