The U.S. Navy conducted a successful test of an upgrade to the Aegis missile defense system on November 6, simultaneously destroying two cruise missiles and one ballistic missile off the coast of Hawaii.
Sources say the tests have validated the upgrade of the missile defense system built by Lockheed Martin, as well as two different missiles built by the U.S. defense firm Raytheon.
The upgrade is due to be installed on U.S. Navy Aegis destroyers and also is part of the Aegis Ashore system due to become operational in Romania in 2015.
NATO in October formally inaugurated its Naval Support Facility Devesulu -- the new Aegis Ashore facility in Romania that is meant to protect southern Europe from ballistic missile attacks.
Another Aegis Ashore site in Poland is scheduled to become operation in 2018 to protect northern Europe from intercontinental ballistic missiles.