The failure of an interceptor missile in a missile defense test on Feb. 14 was caused when one of three supporting arms inside the interceptor's silo did not fall free of the weapon, a senior US military official said on Wednesday.

It was a repeat of an aborted December test in which the interceptor missile also failed to launch because of a minor software problem.

Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, director of the Missile Defense Agency, also expressed disappointment with the two recent test failures, according to local media.

The United States has recently suffered two setbacks in the missile defense test in a row.

Last month, an interceptor missile supposed to shoot down the target missile fired from Kodiak Island, Alaska, did not take off from Kwajalein Island in the Pacific Ocean. This followed an abortion on Dec. 15 of the first flight test of the system in two years.

"I am pleased with what we learned ... but again I am very disappointed in this last test because of the simplicity of the failure and the fact that it was a glitch that really got in our way," said Obering.

But Obering said investigators hope to soon find out why one ofthe three supporting arms for the interceptor failed to move out of the way.

Obering also said that Pentagon would resume the test as early as the end of April.

Source: Xinhua