U.S. military said on Tuesday it successfully tested a key missile defence system.

FILE PHOTO: Undated file image courtesy the US Air Force shows the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb sitting in an undisclosed location in theater of the Global War on Terror waiting to be used.

The test was described as a milestone that demonstrated U.S. capability to knock down an incoming, intermediate-range missile from countries like North Korea.

The Aegis Ashore system used in the latest test was fitted with a Standard Missile 3 Block IIA (SM-3 IIA) interceptor, being developed in a joint venture between Raytheon Co and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.

Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Director, Lieutenant General Sam Greaves, said the successful test was significant.

“It was of great significance to the future of multi-domain missile defence operations and supports a critical initial production acquisition milestone for the SM-3 Block IIA missile program,’’ Greaves said.

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In the recent test, a U.S. Air Force C-17 launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile and the interceptor was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Kauai, Hawaii, the MDA said.

In October, the U.S. military said it successfully tracked and intercepted a medium-range ballistic target missile.

In August, the Pentagon was given the mandate to pursue more options for defeating U.S.-bound North Korean missiles by using radar and more missiles to spot and shoot down inbound threats.

The military has been exploring whether the U.S. can add another layer of defence to those already in place for intercepting incoming missiles.

The SM-3 IIA is expected to be equipped on U.S Aegis ashore stations in Romania and Poland.

The Polish section of the defence shield is expected to be operational in 2020.

The U.S. switched on the missile shield in Romania in 2016, which has angered Russia.

Earlier this month, U.S. delivered Russia a 60-day ultimatum to come clean about what Washington said was a violation of an arms control treaty that keeps certain missiles out of Europe.

In 2017, Japan decided it would expand its ballistic missile defence system with U.S.-made ground-based Aegis radar stations and interceptors in response to North Korean rockets. (Reuters/NAN)