The US Department of Defense has admitted failure in its interceptor missile test.
The US Department of Defense confirmed on February 1st that it had failed in a missile interceptor test off the coast of Hawaii.
According to US Department of Defense spokesperson Dana Wite, the missile in the test did not reach its target, but the US military learned lessons and will continue to improve its capabilities.
|
| The US launches a missile. Photo: UPI. |
Earlier, local media reported that the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor missile was launched from an Aegis Ashore test range in Hawaii, but failed to intercept another missile launched from an aircraft.
According to the US Department of Defense, this test was the first launch from the ground and also marked the first time both ground-based and space-based sensors were used simultaneously.
This also marks the second failure in the past year for the SM-3 missile test.
The test in June 2017 was also unsuccessful. However, according to the US military, this will not affect the US's ability to defend against any intercontinental ballistic missiles flying toward US territory.
