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This weekend the U.S. Navy announced that it shot down one of two short-range ballistic missiles test-fired from a navy ship, the first time the Navy supervised a Standard Missile-3 interceptor fired against a ballistic missile target.

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Last week, the Czech Republic’s parliament began debating the deal reached between the U.S. and the Czech Republic to install a radar missile defense base to protect against missile attacks. The agreement is supported by the center-right coalition government, but parties that oppose parliament and Czech citizens are concerned about Russia’s disapproval of the plan.

One opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, has asked the Constitutional Court to review the agreements for legality. Signed last summer by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, the deal must be ratified by both houses of parliament. A majority of Czech citizens oppose the missile defense deal, according to polls.

The U.S. is attempting to protect Central Europe from countries like Iran. The U.S. plans to build a missile defense base in Poland, which also has to ratify the agreement. As expected, Russia opposes both bases.

(Sources: AP and RIA Novosti)