The Navy held air defense drills with an SM-2 interceptor during a U.S.-led multinational exercise in waters near Hawaii this week, officials said Wednesday, amid efforts to bolster response capabilities against North Korean missile threats. The ROKS Yulgok Yi I destroyer successfully intercepted an unmanned aerial target Tuesday (local time) with the SM-2 surface-to-air missile during the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, according to the Navy officials. The SM-2 is capable of defending against anti-ship missiles and aircraft out to 90 nautical miles, according to the U.S. defense company Raytheon, the missile's manufacturer. "Through this exercise, (we) inspected our Navy's anti-air and anti-missile engagement capabilities and enhanced our missile operational capabilities," Capt. Kim Bong-jin, ROKS Yulgok Yi I's commanding officer, said in a release. South Korea has dispatched some 840 troops, three warships and a submarine to take part in this year's RIMPAC, which involves 29 countries, a nd is scheduled to run through Aug. 1. As part of RIMPAC, the ROKS Lee Beom-seok submarine will stage a live-fire exercise against a retired U.S. amphibious assault ship on July 18, according to the Navy. North Korea has ratcheted up tensions on the Korean Peninsula with a spate of weapons tests this year, including what it called a "super-large warhead" power test for a strategic cruise missile in April. Source: Yonhap News Agency