The U.S. military said Thursday that it had successfully shot down a missile off the coast of Hawaii, in a test of a missile defense system designed to protect NATO forces in Europe from attack.
The Missile Defense Agency said the Aegis weapon system fired an interceptor missile after radar detected the target. The SM-3 interceptor moved into the target's path and destroyed it.
Defense contractor Raytheon said the test's success keeps the Aegis Ashore program on track for deployment in Romania by year's end.
Raytheon said it's expected to operate in Poland in 2018.
