The U.S. network of ground-based interceptors intended to defend against an intercontinental ballistic missile fired from North Korea "achieved a number of major accomplishments" in 2017, according to the General Accountability Office.
The system managed by Boeing Co. conducted its first successful flight test of an improved interceptor last year "when it successfully intercepted a target representative of an intercontinental ballistic missile," according to the annual report published Wednesday. It also met a Pentagon goal set by the Obama administration of increasing the number of interceptors, which are based in California and Alaska, to 44 from 30.
The GAO, which has repeatedly criticized the interceptor system, said "the program also fielded a software upgrade to the fire control segment" that included some improvements for battle management and discrimination and completed a preliminary design review for a new hit-to-kill warhead.