The National Interest:
The United States Missile Defense Agency has accomplished a historic feat.
On Tuesday, the agency successfully intercepted an intercontinental ballistic missile in an important test utilizing its ground-based midcourse defense system.
The ICBM—mocked up to resemble a missile capable of carrying a nuclear payload similar to the ones that North Korea is feverishly pursuing—was launched over the Pacific Ocean some 4,000 miles away from the intercepting missile’s launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The successful test was an important step in reaffirming our nation’s missile defense program’s ability to protect the American homeland from long-range ballistic missile threats.
This is particularly relevant given the increased bellicosity with which North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has been attempting to flex his nation’s military might. Since the beginning of the year, North Korea has launched a total of 12 missiles in nine separate tests.
The missiles launched by North Korea have ranged from short- to medium- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles…
