US shoots down mock intercontinental ballistic missile with ship-based interceptor
- Successful test is a first for the Pentagon, as previous trials had used land-based systems at underground silos
- While such defences protect the US against a North Korean strike, experts say they could push China and Russia to grow their nuclear arsenals
In a first for the Pentagon’s push to develop defences against intercontinental-range ballistic missiles capable of striking the United States, a missile interceptor launched from a US Navy ship at sea hit and destroyed a mock ICBM in flight on Tuesday, officials said.
Previous tests against ICBM targets had used interceptors launched from underground silos in the United States. If further, more challenging tests prove successful, the ship-based approach could add to the credibility and reliability of the Pentagon’s existing missile defence system.
The success of Tuesday’s test is likely to draw particular interest from North Korea, whose development of intercontinental-range ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons is the main reason the Pentagon has sought to accelerate its building of missile defence systems over the past decade.
North Korea has recently refrained from flight tests of ballistic missiles of intercontinental range and has not continued its nuclear testing. But the intentions of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un are uncertain as US President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office, succeeding President Donald Trump.
Although the current US approach to missile defence is designed to protect the US homeland against an ICBM fired from North Korea, both Russia and China have expressed concern that the US could use its missile defences to undercut the deterrent value of their nuclear forces, which are larger than those of North Korea.