During test, U.S. successfully destroys mock ballistic missile over Pacific

A rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A mock intercontinental ballistic missile launched by the United States over the Pacific Ocean was successfully shot down Tuesday by an upgraded long-range interceptor missile, the Missile Defense Agency said in a statement.

The ground-based interceptor was launched from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base and "destroyed the target in a direct collision," the Missile Defense Agency said. The U.S. has poured more than $40 billion into the MDA since 2002, and its director, Vice Adm. Jim Syring, said the "intercept of a complex, threat-representative ICBM target is an incredible accomplishment ... and a critical milestone for this program. This system is vitally important to the defense of our homeland, and this test demonstrates that we have a capable, credible deterrent against a very real threat."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.