English: Japanese politician Akinori Eto, cropped from photo: 071217-N-8772M-001 Japanese Senior Vice-Minister of Defense Akinori Eto looks on as Rear Adm. Alan B Hicks responds to a question from a member of the Japanese media during a press conference held at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Barking Sands, Hawaii, following the successful completion of a cooperative Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) intercept flight test off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, Dec. 17, 2007. The event, designated Japan Flight Test Mission 1, marked the first time that an Allied Navy ship has successfully intercepted a ballistic missile target with the sea-based midcourse engagement capability provided by Aegis BMD.