The Missile Defense Agency says the military's ground-based missile defense system has destroyed a missile launched from an airplane yesterday. It's the first successful test of the system's ability to destroy a warhead that separates from its booster.

The interceptor missile launched off Hawaii on Wednesday had to differentiate between the warhead and the body of the missile before destroying the warhead above the Pacific Ocean.

It was the fifth successful intercept in five attempts since 2005 for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.