US deploys 9th interceptor missile

The US military has deployed the ninth interceptor missile for its national missile defense system, the Pentagon announced on Monday.

The missile was deployed on Sept. 18 in an underground silo located in the second missile field at Fort Greely, Alaska, and was designed to intercept and destroy a long-range ballistic missile, the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said in a statement.

To date, the military has deployed six interceptors in the first missile field at Fort Greely, and two additional interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

The interceptors are part of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System, an integrated system designed to destroy target warheads before they can reach intended targets in the United States.

The US military began deploying ground-based missile interceptors in July last year.

Source: Xinhua