Japanese Navy Intercepts US Test Missile

A Japanese Navy ship has intercepted a US military fired medium-range ballistic missile during a test off Hawaii.

The Japanese Navy destroyer JS Myoko detected the target, fired from the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, tracked it and then fired an SM-3 interceptor missile which hit the target 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean.

Alongside the JS Myoko destroyer, two US Navy vessels the USS Paul Hamilton and the USS Lake Erie also helped track the target.

The Myoko is the third of four Japanese destroyers to be upgraded with ballistic missile defence technology.

In December 2007, Japan successfully intercepted a ballistic missile by launching an interceptor missile from JS Kongo.