Watch the US shoot down a 'North Korean' intercontinental ballistic missile

The US military has successfully used a missile defense system to shoot down a simulated intercontinental ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean.

The successful test is considered a major event for the program to protect the US against the growing threat from North Korea, NY Post reported.

The US military launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from a base in the Marshall Islands toward the southern Alaskan sea. It then launched another missile to intercept it from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, 4,200 miles away from the first missile launch.

Experts compared the test to firing one bullet after another and stressed that the test was very complicated because it involved extremely large distances.

Reuters quoted the Missile Defense Agency as saying that the first mid-term test of the ground-based defense system controlled by Boeing was an incredible success.

"This system plays a vital role in defending the United States. The test of shooting down an intercontinental ballistic missile demonstrates that the United States has a credible system to counter a real threat," Vice Admiral Jim Syring, director of the agency, said in a statement.

Before the May 30 test, the defense system had shot down targets in nine of 17 tests since 1999.

According to Vietnamnet.vn