WASHINGTON, Sept 2: The United States successfully tested its ballistic missile defence system on Friday, officials said, almost two months after North Korea test-fired a long-range missile that fell into the sea.
The US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) said an improved ground-based interceptor missile launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, hit a dummy armed missile fired from Kodiak, Alaska.
North Korea accused the United States of threatening war by carrying out the test and conducting joint military exercises with the South.
The North’s semi-official Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland also attacked South Korea for taking part in the annual war games and said it would only drive Pyongyang to build up its self-defence capability.
“The US staged not only a large-scale north-targeted naval and air combined manoeuvre in the waters around the Korean Peninsula with troops of its allies involved but carried out a missile test-fire to strike the DPRK and intercept its missiles,” the committee said in a statement carried by state media.
It was the first test of the US long-range missile defence system since North Korea’s July 4 test-firing of six short- and medium-range missiles and a long-range missile, which all fell into the Sea of Japan (East Sea).
The US government estimates that North Korea’s long-range missile could be capable of striking Hawaii, Alaska or even California, although officials acknowledge their intelligence on the matter is limited.
Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld cautiously welcomed Friday’s positive results, but stressed that further tests are needed.
“I am pleased that today’s test of our ballistic missile defence system appears to have been a success,” Mr Rumsfeld said in a statement.
“Successful tests such as these increase confidence in the approach to developing an initial missile defence capability ... the tests will become even more challenging in the period ahead,” he said.
The US missile defence system employs radar and satellites to detect enemy missile launches and guide interceptors to their targets and is under development. Its command centre is based in Colorado and interceptor missiles are located in Alaska and at the Vandenberg air base.
Until Friday, only five of 10 MDA test attempts to intercept an incoming ballistic missile had been successful.
Interceptor missiles had failed to launch from their silos in Dec 2004 and February last year.
Friday’s test was the first launch of the ground-based interceptor from the Vandenberg base.
Prior to the test, MDA officials had underscored that it was primarily aimed at determining whether the new ground-based interceptor could distinguish the target warhead from its launcher or a decoy, and not necessarily at interception.
Another test later this year or early next year will have a principal goal of hitting the target weapon.
In a missile-defence test on June 22, the United States successfully intercepted a medium-range missile target launched from Hawaii.—AFP