Jan 31, 2018

Report: Hawaii’s second missile defense test failed

Defense Secretary James Mattis.

Photo: Saul Loeb / AFP / Getty Images

A missile defense test from Hawaii on Wednesday failed, CNN reports, though the Pentagon has not yet confirmed it.

Why it matters: If confirmed, this would be the second unsuccessful test in a year. Per CNN, officials have acknowledged that the test happened, but haven't publicly acknowledged it as a failure due to "sensitivities surrounding...the upcoming Olympic Games and continuing tensions with leader Kim Jong Un."

Go deeper