A missile defense rocket designed to smash incoming missiles out of the sky has been successfully launched from a military base in Central California.

Authorities say a long-range interceptor blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The launch was testing thrusters on the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle, which is designed to crash into enemy missiles and destroy them.

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The long-range interceptor blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, and released the kill vehicle, which was maneuvered with thrusters until its fuel was used up.

WHAT'S NEXT Later this year, an interceptor will try to destroy an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) target armed with countermeasures for the first time. A year later, MDA will launch two interceptors against a single ICBM. In 2018, MDA will conduct the first flight, a non-intercept test, of a redesigned version of the interceptor’s exo-atmospheric kill vehicle. Advertisement

Officials said a target representing a missile was launched from an Air Force plane over the Pacific Ocean west of Hawaii.

The Vandenberg interceptor released the kill vehicle, which was maneuvered with thrusters until its fuel was used up.

It purposely didn't intercept the target.

The test involved the ground-based midcourse defense system.

The missile shield system is supposed to protect America from attacks, but it has failed to hit targets in many tests.

Later this year, an interceptor will try to destroy an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) target armed with countermeasures for the first time.

A year later, MDA will launch two interceptors against a single ICBM.

In 2018, MDA will conduct the first flight, a non-intercept test, of a redesigned version of the interceptor’s exo-atmospheric kill vehicle.

Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are working on different parts of the redesign. MDA wants to improve the reliability of the kill vehicle, which destroys an incoming warhead by colliding with it.

And in a 2019 test, an interceptor with the redesigned kill vehicle will be programmed to use only two of its three stages, a potential option that could give warfighters more flexibility.

HOW IT WORKS Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicles are designed to destroy incoming ballistic threats while they are still in space. The Raytheon-made EKV is designed to destroy incoming ballistic missile threats by directly colliding with them, a concept often described as 'hit to kill.' The EKV has an advanced, multi-color sensor used to detect and discriminate incoming warheads from other objects. The EKV has its own propulsion, communications link, discrimination algorithms, guidance and control system and computers to support target selection and intercept. Raytheon's Exoatomospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) is the intercept component of the Ground Based Interceptor (GBI) If a threat is detected using one of GMD’s multiple land, sea- and space-based sensors, a Ground-Based Interceptor will be launched into space using a three-stage solid rocket booster. Once outside of the Earth’s atmosphere, operating at the edge of space at hypersonic speeds, the EKV’s job begins. The EKV seeks out the target using multi-color sensors, a cutting-edge onboard computer, and a rocket motor used only for steering in space. It hones in on its target, and with pinpoint precision, destroys it using nothing more than the force of a massive collision. No traditional warhead is needed. The Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV) is the next-generation, cost-effective solution that will leverage mature, proven components to simplify design and improve reliability. From drawing board to deployment, Raytheon is the only company with the unique technical talent, proven success and infrastructure to deliver a simpler, easier-to-produce next generation kill vehicle with a significant reduction in cost. Advertisement

The latest mission's objective was to observe in-flight performance of redesigned components and gain valuable information on evolving threat classes, Raytheon, who made it, said.

EKVs are designed to destroy incoming ballistic threats while they are still in space.

As part of the MDA test of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, a ballistic missile target was launched and purposely not intercepted to demonstrate for maximum maneuvering and data collection.

The successful mission proved the effectiveness of a recent redesign of the EKV thrusters, which provides the control necessary for lethal impact with incoming threats while safely outside of the Earth's atmosphere.

The testing was supported by Raytheon's sea-based X-band radar (SBX) and AN/TPY-2 radar – both play critical roles in supporting the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system.

'This was a remarkable data-collection opportunity,' said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, president of Raytheon Missile Systems.

'These are among our industry's most complex systems.

'Testing is critically important to ensuring the advancement of reliable kill vehicles for the protection of the U.S. homeland.'

The long-range interceptor blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, and released the kill vehicle, which was manoeuvred with thrusters until its fuel was used up.

Raytheon is simultaneously managing four kill vehicle programs – the EKV, Standard Missile-3 kinetic vehicle, Redesigned Kill Vehicle, and Multi-Object Kill Vehicle.

The Raytheon kill vehicle family has a combined record of more than 30 successful space intercepts.

Backed by decades of kill vehicle technology expertise, the Raytheon-made EKV is designed to destroy incoming ballistic missile threats by directly colliding with them, a concept often described as 'hit to kill.'

The EKV has an advanced, multi-color sensor used to detect and discriminate incoming warheads from other objects.

The EKV has its own propulsion, communications link, discrimination algorithms, guidance and control system and computers to support target selection and intercept.

The EKV is deployed and operational today.