The US military said it successfully tested a key missile defense system on October 26 in a milestone that experts say shows a growing US capability to knock down medium-range missiles.
It was the second successful intercept in a row for the SM-3 IIA, which will give the US Missile Defense Agency more confidence that it has resolved design flaws that previously caused intercept failures, US officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The officials said the successful test moved the system closer to production. Riki Ellison, chairman of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a non-profit organization that seeks to promote testing and development of missile defense systems, said the test would also keep plans on track to eventually deploy the system in Poland.