The US military shot down a medium-range ballistic missile target off the coast of Hawaii early today, in a successful test of a missile interception system Japan is seeking to bolster its defence against North Korea. <br/><br/>The test was performed by the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) and the US Navy from the USS John Paul Jones, a guided-missile destroyer, just one day after North Korea fired a ballistic missile over Japan. <br/><br/>North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has promised more missile flights over Japan, insisting his nuclear-armed nation's provocation is a mere curtain-raiser, in the face of United Nations condemnation and US warnings of severe repercussions. <br/><br/>The MDA said the test gives the naval component of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defence System enhanced capability to defeat ballistic missiles in their terminal phase.