Technical assistance and support from the U.S. Defense Department for an Israeli missile test over the Mediterranean Sea yesterday morning was unrelated to U.S. consideration of military action in Syria, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

“Early this morning, the United States Department of Defense provided technical assistance and support to the Israeli Missile Defense Organization flight test of a Sparrow target missile over the Mediterranean Sea,” Little said in a statement on September 3. “The test was long planned to help evaluate the Arrow Ballistic Missile Defense system’s ability to detect, track, and communicate information about a simulated threat to Israel.”