The Missile Defense Agency said it was the first live-fire test against a simulated ICBM for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) and hailed it as an “incredible accomplishment”. “This is one element of a broader missile defense strategy that we can use to employ against potential threats,” the Pentagon spokesman Capt Jeff Davis told reporters. Riki Ellison, founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, described the test as “vital” prior to launch. “We are replicating our ability to defend the United States of America from North Korea, today,” Ellison said. In the fiscal year 2018 budget proposal sent to Congress last week, the Pentagon requested $7.9bn for the Missile Defense Agency, including about $1.5 billion for the GMD program.

Source: The Guardian May 30, 2017 22:18 UTC