China announced on Friday that it had conducted a successful missile interception test, which China Media Group (CMG) reported as a "one-shot kill." The test was designed to verify China's ability to intercept an incoming missile while it is in flight. A test missile, launched to simulate an attack on Chinese territory, was destroyed mid-course by another missile.

Liu Xiaofeng, a military expert, explained that the system is "large, complicated with monitoring, control and computing," which must be constantly on alert for incoming missiles. Once detected, the system tracks the missile's trajectory to determine where it will be in the next few minutes and launches an intercepting missile to hit it while it's still in the air.

Long range missiles like intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) are basically space rockets aimed at ground targets. They also fly out of the Earth's atmosphere but eventually return to the target instead of putting people or satellites into space.

Friday's mid-course interception took place when the missile was out in space, where there are few obstacles to the interception process. According to Liu, "compared to its terminal phase, a missile flies much slower in the mid-course phase," which gives the system more time to detect and intercept it.

Liu also noted that the missiles intercepted could be as heavy as several tonnes, requiring the intercepting missile to be heavy, fast and delivered on time. Furthermore, the test missile was intercepted using a land-based missile, which has fewer limitations in space and weight compared to marine or air-based ones.

This was not China's first test on mid-course missile interception. Several such tests have been officially reported since January 2010.