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Posted: Wednesday, June 27th, 2012 8:51 AM HST

Successful test of interceptor missile off Hawaii

By Associated Press

KEKAHA, Hawaii (AP) — The U.S. military has successfully conducted a test flight of the Navy's newest interceptor missile by shooting down a ballistic missile target off Hawaii. The Missile Defense Agency says the USS Lake Erie detected and tracked the separating missile launched from Kauai's Pacific Missile Range Facility on Tuesday night. It's the second consecutive successful intercept test of the SM-3 Block IB missile and the second-generation Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system, which is operated from ships. The first successful intercept test took place last month. The agency says the test was the 23rd successful intercept in 28 flight test firings for the Aegis system. The system is the sea-based midcourse component of the agency's Ballistic Missile Defense System and is designed to intercept and destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats.