Pentagon says it shot down unarmed missile in sea-based test

 In a first for Pentagon's push to develop defenses against intercontinental-range ballistic missiles capable of striking United States, a missile interceptor launched from a U.S. Navy ship at sea hit and destroyed a mock ICBM in flight on Tuesday, officials said.

Previous tests against ICBM targets h used interceptors launched from underground silos in United States. If furr, more challenging tests prove successful, ship-based approach could d to credibility and reliability of Pentagon's existing missile defense system.

success of Tuesday's test is likely to draw particular interest from rth Korea, whose development of intercontinental-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons is main reason Pentagon has sought to accelerate its building of missile defense systems over past dece.

rth Korea has recently refrained from flight tests of ballistic missiles of intercontinental range and has t continued its nuclear testing. But intentions of rth Korean leer Kim Jong Un are uncertain as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office, succeeding President Donald Trump.

Although current U.S. approach to missile defense is designed to protect U.S. homeland against an ICBM fired from rth Korea, both Russia and China have expressed concern that U.S. could use its missile defenses to undercut deterrent value of ir nuclear forces, which are larger than those of rth Korea.

Missile defense has long been a sticking point in U.S. arms control talks with Russia.

Navy Vice m. Jon Hill, director of Pentagon's Missile Defense ncy, which conducted Tuesday's test, called result “an incredible accomplishment and critical milestone” for program.

He said this ship-based approach, if augmented with more capable systems for detecting and tracking hostile missiles in flight, could provide “a hedge against unexpected developments in missile threat.”

Hill did t mention any countries by name, but rth Korea is main U.S. concern.

In Tuesday's test, latest version of an Aegis SM-3 missile was fired from a U.S. Navy destroyer situated in Pacific, rast of Hawaii. Its target was a mock ICBM that h been launched from a U.S. test range at Kwajalein Atoll in Marshall Islands. target missile was t equipped with decoys or or sophisticated systems of kind that a U.S. missile interceptor might face in a real attack on U.S. homeland.

test h been planned for last spring but was delayed because of restrictions related to coronavirus pandemic. 

(IM CREDITS:PTI)