The Pentagon will conduct a test of its Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) ballistic missile defense system on Tuesday, which the U.S. hopes will eventually be able to intercept missiles from North Korea or Iran.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency will conduct the test, according to a press release from the Department of Defense, which will involve firing a simulated ballistic missile from a site in the Marshall Islands.

While the test’s timing is not a specific response to numerous recent North Korean missile launches, the DPRK’s missile programme is one of the reasons the U.S. is developing the capability.

“North Korea