The US military has successfully tested its missile intercept system in Alaska amid rising tensions with North Korea.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) was able to intercept a ballistic missile launched over the Pacific Ocean by a U.S. Air Force C-17 plane in the 'successful' test - meant to simulate a real missile fired by Pyongyang.

It comes after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of 6,500 miles on Friday night - far enough to reach major US cities.

The US military has successfully tested its missile intercept system in Alaska amid rising tensions with North Korea (file photo)

The exercise will help the U.S. 'to stay ahead of the evolving threat,' said MDA Director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves in a statement.

'It's something we have confidence in,' added Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis of THAAD.

The system is designed to intercept and destroy short, medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles during the final phase of their flight. It uses 'hit-to-kill' technology where kinetic energy from the interceptor missile destroys an incoming target.

North Korea launched a missile (pictured) that came 'threateningly' close to Japan on Friday night, which has prompted concern from US and Japan leaders

In response to the North Korea's ICBM launch, the U.S. then flew two B-1B bombers over the Korean peninsula in a show of force

Though such exercises are planned months in advance, this one comes after North Korea test-fired the intercontinental ballistic missile on Friday.

North Korea's state television broadcast pictures of the missile test launch on Friday night, which was personally supervised by Kim.

The missile launch was intended as a 'stern warning' that the United States would not be safe from destruction if it tries to attack, the North's official KCNA news agency said.

The test was also aimed at confirming the maximum range and other technical aspects of the missile it says was capable of delivering a 'large-sized, heavy nuclear warhead.'

Had it been fired at a standard trajectory, the rocket could have reached Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago and would have even had New York and Boston within its sights, according to analysts.

This graphic shows what the trajectory of the Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile would take, with some experts saying the North Korean rocket could reach Alaska

A U.S. missile defense system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, is seen at a golf course in Seongju, South Korea, Tuesday, July 4

Hours later, the U.S. then flew two B-1B bombers over the Korean peninsula in a show of force after the North Korean missile tests, the Air Force said in a statement on Sunday.

The launch comes less than a month after the North conducted its first ICBM test in defiance of years of efforts led by the United States, South Korea and Japan to rein in Pyongyang's nuclear weapons ambitions.

Lockheed Martin Corp, contractor for the THAAD system, said it can intercept incoming missiles both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere.

'A medium-range target ballistic missile (MRBM) was air-launched by a U.S. Air Force C-17 over the Pacific Ocean. The THAAD weapon system located at Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska in Kodiak, Alaska, detected, tracked and intercepted the target,' Lockheed said in a statement.

The US military this year began deploying THAAD to South Korea, a move that infuriated China, which has argued the deployment would further destabilize the situation on the Korean peninsula.

Today's test came amid news Trump is poised to order a military strike against North Korea ‘within the next year’.

The US intercept test comes after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching parts of the United States. Pictured: Kim Jong-Un celebrating the first successful test launch on July 4

Trump wrote that China could 'easily' solve the North Korea problem if past American leaders insisted on making them help and indicated he would no longer allow the behavior to continue

Trump wrote that China could 'easily' solve the North Korea problem if past American leaders insisted on making them help and indicated he would no longer allow the behavior to continue

Trump took to Twitter on Saturday night to call out 'foolish' past American leaders who he believes allowed China to make enormous profits in trade while they didn't help with the growing problem of North Korea

Senior military sources in Washington DC said that Pentagon officials have laid out plans to obliterate a nuclear weapons facility operating deep within a mountain in the rogue state.

The move, which could spark retaliation attacks from Jong-Un, would be a major step towards all-out war to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.

The president also turned on China, tweeting yesterday the country could 'easily' solve problems with North Korea but the country does nothing to help the United States except 'talk'.

Trump took to Twitter on Saturday night to call out 'foolish' past American leaders who he believes allowed China to make enormous profits in trade while not helping with North Korea.

Trump added that China could 'easily' solve the growing problem with the country, but instead all China does is 'talk'.

Jong-un has previously warned Trump he was pushing his nation to the brink of nuclear war.