China conducts successful missile defence test

TIL Desk/World/Beijing/ China today announced that it has successfully carried out a mid-course ground-based missile interception test within its own territory, on a day when India test fired its short-range nuclear-capable Agni-1 missile.

The test of interception technology was conducted yesterday within China’s territory and achieved “preset goal”, the Ministry of National Defence said. The test is defencive and does not target any country.

A ground-based interceptor missile was used to knock out a ballistic missile during the “mid-course” of its flight outside the earth’s atmosphere. The test was in a location in China, but no other details were given.

The test comes amid months of international tension over North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles programme and Beijing’s firm opposition to the deployment of US interceptor missiles, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) in South Korea to ward off ward off any missile attacks from North Korea.

Russia too opposed the deployment of THAAD Missiles. China apprehends that the powerful radars of the THAAD missiles can monitor the movement of its missiles in the country.