US, Japan Test-Fires Standard Missile-3 Block IIA Missile

The US Missile Defense Agency and the military development agency of Japan’s Ministry of Defense conducted a successful test of Raytheon-made Standard Missile-3 in California on Tuesday.

The firing was the second such test of the SM-3 Block IIA on the Point Mugu Sea Range, the US Navy announced. The first test took place on June 6.

"Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division… Point Mugu, California hosted a live-fire test of the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA missile… developed by the United States and Japan for use with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense program," the Navy said on its website on Wednesday.

Japan already operates US-built Standard Missile-3 interceptors.

The Standard Missile-3 Block IIA is a three-stage missile designed to intercept ballistic missile threats above the earth's atmosphere, destroying them with a kinetic warhead that collides with the threat warhead at very high speed.