WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military for the first time shot down two simulated ballistic missile targets Tuesday night off Hawaii, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) said Wednesday.

    The test marks the 10th and 11th successful intercepts in 13 attempts so far for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, the sea-based component of the nation's missile defense program, according to the agency.

    The shoot-down was conducted by the Pearl Harbor-based cruiser USS Lake Erie.

    A Japanese destroyer, JS Kongo, also participated in the flight test as a training exercise in preparation for the first ballistic missile live-fire intercept test by a Japanese ship scheduled for December.

    The Aegis ship-based capability is designed to intercept short-to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats.

    The MDA is modifying 15 destroyers and three cruisers to have Aegis ballistic missile defense capabilities.

    Sixteen of the 18 Aegis ships with missile shoot-down capability will be based in the Pacific.

    The Japanese are adapting four destroyers for ballistic missile defense.