WASHINGTON — The U.S. will conduct two major defensive weapons tests in May 2017 in preparation for possible North Korean attack.

The first will see an upgraded Standard Missile fired from a U.S. Navy vessel somewhere in the Pacific. This improved projectile comes equipped with an enhanced warhead and booster, meaning it can cover greater distances, reported CNN.

The other test will see ground-based defenses in California and Alaska run through a theoretical North Korean strike on the U.S. mainland.These long-range interceptor missiles are said to have had a fifty-fifty success rate in previous tests.