"I think the operation speaks for itself in that respect," Gates told reporters here after touring one of the warships that supported the operation in the Pacific ocean.

"I think the question over whether this capability works has been settled," he said. "The question is what kind of threat, how large a threat, how sophisticated a threat (the United States faces)."

Late Wednesday, the USS Lake Erie fired a single modified tactical SM-3 missile that hit the schoolbus-sized satellite some 250 kilometers (150 miles) over the Pacific as it traveled at more than 7,000 miles (11,265 kilometers) per hour, the Pentagon said.

"We've had a number of successful tests and the fact that the Congress in recent years overwhelmingly has voted billions of dollar to continue with the missile defense program is testament to the fact that issue over whether it will work is behind us," Gates said.

Asked about China's request that Washington provide information about the satellite strike, Gates said: "We're prepared to share whatever, appropriately, we can."

He said the US governments approach has been one of "complete transparency and letting everybody know what was going on and the purpose of the activity."

The US military has denied that the strike had been planned as a show of force, insisting that its aim was to protect people from an out-of-control satellite loaded with dangerous toxic fuel.

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