Japan, U.S. to test missile nose cone

TOKYO, March 8 (UPI) -- Japan and the United States will jointly fire a missile near Hawaii this week to test a Japanese-designed nose cone.

Japan's Defense Agency said the Standard Missile-3 interceptor would be fired from a U.S. Aegis destroyer but did not give an exact date, the Kyodo News reported Wednesday.

The joint exercise will be a step toward developing a joint ballistic missile defense system, the agency said.