The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has released video of a U.S. missile defense system eliminating an incoming projectile.
The U.S. military conducted another successful test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system Tuesday. The U.S. tested a THAAD system in Alaska against an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) launched from an Air Force cargo plane near Hawaii. THAAD has a perfect intercept record of 14 out of 14.
THAAD was deployed in South Korea after North Korea launched a salvo of missiles into waters off Japan, and the system has achieved initial intercept capability.
North Korea successfully tested a new IRBM — the Hwasong-12 — in May, with some experts assessing that the missile could strike targets in Guam.
“The successful demonstration of THAAD against an IRBM-range missile threat bolsters the country’s defensive capability against developing missile threats in North Korea and other countries around the globe and contributes to the broader strategic deterrence architecture,” MDA said in a press statement after Tuesday’s intercept test.
WATCH:
The U.S. military conducted a successful intercept test for an intercontinental ballistic missile in late May. North Korea launched an ICBM — the Hwasong-14 — earlier this month, dramatically advancing the reclusive regime’s missile capabilities.
While U.S. anti-missile systems are performing well in tests, there is no guarantee that the defense systems could stop an attack. Kinetic missile defense, such as THAAD and other interceptor systems, essentially involves striking a bullet with another bullet.
“People think missile defenses are a magic wand. They aren’t,” Jeffrey Lewis, a renowned arms expert, previously told The Daily Caller News Foundation.
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