US successfully tests ICBM interception system for first time

The director of the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Vice Admiral Jim Syring, said that intercepting an ICBM target is very complex and this is an extraordinary achievement.

The US military announced yesterday that it had successfully tested its system to intercept an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time. The test came amid growing concerns over North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile programs.

Illustration photo.

In a scenario where the United States was under attack by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the military launched an interceptor from an underground silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, while the simulated target ICBM was launched from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, Pacific Ocean.

"Intercepting an ICBM target is a very complex task and this is an extraordinary achievement and a milestone in the program," said Vice Admiral Jim Syring, director of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). "This system plays a vital role in protecting the security of the United States and this successful test demonstrates that the United States has the full capability to counter a real threat."

To increase its operations, in its budget submitted to Congress for fiscal year 2018 last week, the US Department of Defense proposed allocating 7.9 billion USD to the Missile Defense Agency under the department./.

According to VOV