United States

US Navy Shoots Down Missile Off Hawaii in Test

Wednesday's move by the U.S. came after a series of North Korean missile tests and threats by Kim Jong Un

U.S. forces shot down a medium-range ballistic missile off the coast of Hawaii Wednesday as part of a test conducted amid heightened regional tensions, NBC News reported.

Early Wednesday, U.S. Navy sailors on USS John Paul Jones "successfully conducted a complex defense flight test," the Missile Defense Agency, a section of the Defense Department, said in a statement.

"We are working closely with the fleet to develop this important new capability, and this was a key milestone," the agency's director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves said in a statement. "We will continue developing ballistic missile defense technologies to stay ahead of the threat as it evolves."

Wednesday's move by the U.S. came after a series of North Korean missile tests and threats by Kim Jong Un. On Monday, Pyongyang fired a ballistic missile over Japan.

President Donald Trump tweeted Wednesday morning about the heightened tensions, writing: "The U.S. has been talking to North Korea, and paying them extortion money, for 25 years. Talking is not the answer!"

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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