Following last month's successful test, the US has the ability to shoot down intercontinental ballistic missiles targeting the homeland, according to a memo from the office of the Pentagon's chief weapons tester.
The new evaluation represents an upgrade, as the Pentagon office had previously said that the US only possessed a "limited ability" to protect the continental US from an enemy missile.
The Pentagon successfully shot down an intercontinental ballistic missile using its upgraded long‑range interceptor missile last month in what was widely seen as a test of the US' ability to counter a North Korean missile launch.
The interceptor "destroyed the target in a direct collision," according to a statement from the Missile Defense Agency.
While the Pentagon is calling the test a success, some experts cautioned that the $40 billion missile defense system still has a long way to go before it can be considered fully developed.
Source: CNN
