U.S Shot Down Mock Warhead Over Pacific Ocean As Fear Escalates Over North Korea’s Missile Programs
The United States has shot down a mock warhead over the Pacific Ocean as fear grows over North Korea’s ballistic missile program.
On Tuesday (May 30, 2017), Pentagon has launched its missile first test in nearly 3 years. It was also the first test ever targeting an intercontinental-range missile similar to the one being developed by North Korea.
The interceptor rocket was launched from the underground silo at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, according to the military. The rocket slammed the warhead as it traveled outside the Earth’s atmosphere after its flight. The missile was launched from a test range on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.
A kill vehicle with a length of 1.5-meter was released from atop of the interceptor and zeroes in on the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) like target’s mock warhead. The kill vehicle carried no explosives even though it features thrusters that can land on its target.
“The planned target was a custom-made missile meant to simulate an ICBM, meaning it can fly faster than missiles used in previous intercept tests,” said by Christopher Johnson of Pentagon’s Missile Defence Agency (MDA) quoted by CBC.
The details and capabilities of the missile have not made public and it does not target the mock-up of an actual North Korea ICBM. The US test was estimated amounting $244-million. Despite the success of the test, US did not confirm if they were capable of defending itself against North Korea’s possible missile attack.
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