Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

US military tests missile interception in Marshalls

Posted at 21:08 on 26 October, 2012 UTC

The US military says it intercepted four out of five targets during a missile defence test in the Pacific this week.

The Missile Defense Agency says the five targets during the test at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands included one medium-range ballistic missile, two short-range ballistic missiles and two low-flying cruise missiles.

An Agency spokesperson Pamela Rogers says it was the largest and most complex test of the nation’s ballistic missile defence system.

Soldiers at Kwajalein intercepted three of the missiles using two systems: the Patriot system and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.

Sailors aboard the USS Fitzgerald attempted to shoot down a short-range missile but were unable to confirm interception.