Amid heightened tensions with North Korea, the U.S. will conduct a flight test of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), an element of the nation’s ballistic missile defense system, Fox News has learned. The test, which will be conducted by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), is scheduled to take place this month. The test is designated as Flight Test THAAD (FTT)-18. NORTH KOREA SUCCESSFULLY TEST-LAUNCHED ICBM, US OFFICIALS CONFIRMThe THAAD element provides the ballistic missile defense system with a globally-transportable, rapidly-deployable capability to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles during their final, or terminal, phase of flight. The move comes after North Korea successfully test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time on Tuesday.

Source: Fox News July 07, 2017 22:08 UTC