For the 12th time in three years, the Pearl Harbor-based cruiser USS Lake Erie shot down a short-range ballistic missile target that was launched from Kauai’s Pacific Missile Range Facility.

The Lake Erie had successfully completed a missile intercept test three other times this year: Feb. 12, May 15 and Sept. 18.

On Friday the Pentagon reported that the latest intercept occurred at 7:33 p.m. Thursday outside Earth’s atmosphere.

A medium-range ballistic missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands. Following the target’s launch, the crew of the Lake Erie detected and tracked the missile with its onboard AN/SPY-1 radar.

The ship, equipped with the second-generation Aegis BMD (ballistic missile defense) weapon system, developed a fire control solution and launched an SM-3 Block IB guided missile to engage the target.

The SM-3 Block 1B is a new interceptor and has a more sophisticated ability to seek out and destroy targets than the one now deployed on Navy ships. The current one in use is called the SM-3 Block 1A.

The SM-3 interceptors destroy incoming ballistic missile targets by colliding with them, something defense contractor Raytheon Co. described as akin to "hitting a bullet with a bullet."

The only explosion is generated by the impact of the two objects hitting each other.

The missile in space released its kinetic warhead, which destroyed the target in the atmosphere northwest of Kauai. A Missile Defense Agency spokes­man said no information on either the altitude or distance would be made public.

Thursday’s was the 28th successful intercept in 34 flight tests for the Aegis BMD program since flight testing began in 2002. Across all BMD system programs, it was the 64th successful hit-to-kill intercept in 80 flight test attempts since 2001.

The Navy now has 27 Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system-equipped warships. It plans to buy seven new Aegis BMD-equipped destroyers and has also planned to develop two Aegis shore systems.