An official speaking on the condition of anonymity said a dummy missile had been fired near Hawaii today – but a missile defence system intended to disable the missiel in midair failed.
They said the defence missile SM-3 Block IIA had been deployed from an Aegis Ashore site in Hawaii with the hope of hitting another missile fired from an airctraft.
However it missed the target and the mock missile fired in the war game continued towards its target.
The Missile Defense Agency did not comment on the outcome of the test but confirmed that one had taken place.
A spokesman said: “The Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Navy sailors manning the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex (AAMDTC) conducted a live-fire missile flight test using a Standard-Missile (SM)-3 Block IIA missile launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii, Wednesday morning.”
An intercept test for the missile last June also failed, but there was a successful test in early 2017.
The last year has seen ramped-up North Korea missile launches, some of them over Japanese territory, and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.
These actions have prompted a stepped-up US-led campaign to toughen UN sanctions, which Pyongyang has called an act of war.
It comes just weeks after Hawaii was thrown into chaos when a missile alert was mistakenly issued across the islands.
Citizens were told “this is not a drill” and instructed to take immediate shelter after a state official mistakenly pushed the wrong button.
Eventually the all-clear was given and citizens were told there was no threat. Despite this the island remains on high alert with Kim Jong-un frequently boasting of his ability to hit Hawaii.
More to follow…