An interceptor missile launched from Vandenburg Air Force base in California on Tuesday successfully shot down a mock intercontinental ballistic missile in a milestone first test for a new defense system, according to the US Missile Defense Agency.

The Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) interceptor was launched to take out the replica ICBM, which blasted off around 4,200 miles away from Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

The $40 billion GMD missile defense system could become a key tool in the US military’s arsenal as North Korea continues its research into ICBM technology.

This footage, released by the US Missile Defense Agency, captures the launch of the ICBM from Kwajalein Atoll, and the launch of the interceptor missile from Vandenberg AFB.