WASHINGTON - The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said on Tuesday that it has successfully intercepted a ballistic missile target during a test off Guam for the first time.

"During the flight experiment, the Aegis Guam System integrated with the new AN/TPY-6 radar and Vertical Launching System, fired a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA which intercepted an air-launched Medium Range Ballistic Missile target off the coast of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam," said the agency, a component of the US Department of Defense, in a news release.

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"The AN/TPY-6 radar tracked the target shortly after launch to intercept in the first end-to-end tracking use of the radar during a live ballistic missile flight test," MDA said.

The agency added that "today's event marks a pivotal step taken in defense of Guam initiatives and partnerships and provides critical support to the overall concept, requirements validation, data-gathering and model maturation for the future Guam Defense System (GDS)."

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Guam is "a strategic location for sustaining and maintaining United States military presence" and the test is "the first demonstration from Guam as part of the long-term initiative for the defense of Guam," according to the agency.