Stars and Stripes

As North Korea continues to fire off rockets, the head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said that an upcoming first-of-its-kind test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile killer is being conducted with a “defense-of-Hawaii scenario” in mind.

The new SM-3 Block IIA missile, with longer reach and greater speed, could not only provide greater protection for Hawaii, but also Guam, other U.S. interests and Japan. The same ship- and shore-based missile would be used in Romania and Poland against Iranian missiles.

Russia doesn’t like any of it, and has said so repeatedly, claiming a new arms race will unfold.

“These plans cannot but concern us, the reports on the planned tests of SM-3 Block IIA to intercept ICBM once again confirm that Washington’s statement that the U.S. global missile defense system is ‘not directed’ against Russia is cynical,” Russian news agency TASS quoted that country’s foreign ministry as saying March 20.

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