The US Missile Defense Agency successfully conducted a test of the THAAD weapon system on July 30, shooting down a medium-range missile launched by a US Air Force C-17 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean.

This footage shows the missile launch as well as the THAAD weapon system firing off a shot to intercept it. The THAAD system was located at the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska in Kodiak, Alaska.

The test came after North Korea announced on Saturday, July 29, that it had carried out a similar test of a long-range ballistic missile capable of hitting the American mainland, Reuters reported.

This is the 15th test of the THAAD weapon system. Credit: US Missile Defense Agency via Storyful