US plans first test of ICBM intercept, with NKorea on mind
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With North Korea's nuclear missile threat in mind, the Pentagon is planning a missile defense test next week that for the first time will target an intercontinental-range missile.
The plan is to more closely simulate a North Korean ICBM aimed at the U.S. homeland. The test is scheduled for next Tuesday.
The U.S. interceptor has a spotty track record, having succeeded in nine of 17 attempts since 1999 and only one in the last four. The most recent test, in June 2014, was successful.
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North Korea is now the focus of U.S. missile defense efforts because it vows to soon field a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching American territory. It has yet to test an intercontinental ballistic missile.