A Successful U.S.-Japan Missile - Defense Test

Photo: In this image provided by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency a Standard Missile – 3 is launched Thursday from the Japanese destroyer JS Kirishima in a joint missile defense intercept test with the Missile Defense Agency in the mid-Pacific. The U.S. and Japanese militaries said Thursday the JS Kirishima fired an interceptor missile that shot down a separating medium-range missile target about 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean. U.S. Missile Defense Agency/The Associated Press

U.S. And Japan Stage Successful Missile - Defense Test -- New York Times/Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Japanese naval destroyer equipped with a Lockheed Martin Corp Aegis ballistic missile defence system carried out a successful flight-intercept test on Thursday in a "milestone" of growing cooperation, Japanese and U.S. forces announced.

The test focussed attention on mounting U.S. missile defence ties with Tokyo even as Washington urges its NATO allies to join in a NATO-wide shield prompted largely by concerns over Iran.

Japan's interest in missile shields jumped in August 1998 when North Korea test-fired a Taepo Dong-1 ballistic missile that flew over Japan before falling in the Pacific.

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More News On Yesterday's Successful Missile Defense Test

Japan tests U.S.-made ABM system -- UPI
Japan carries out successful missile-defense test -- Stars And Stripes
Japanese Warship Intercepts Missile in Test -- Global Security Newswire
Raytheon interceptor destroys another ballistic missile -- Seattle PI
Orbital Successfully Launches Medium Range Target for Joint U.S./Japan Missile Defense Test -- Market Watch
Japanese destroyer shoots down mid-range ballistic missile in test off Hawaii -- Canadian Press/AP