Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System Completes Successful Intercept Flight Test

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS LAKE ERIE (CG-70) today successfully conducted a flight test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system,resulting in the Intercept of a separating ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean by the Aegis BMD 4.0 Weapon System and a Standard missile-3 (SM-3) ​​Block IB missile.

At 5:25 pm (Hawaii Time, 11:25 pm EDT), May 15, a separating short-range ballistic missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, on Kauai, Hawaii. The target flew Towards a broad ocean area northwest of the Pacific Ocean. Following target launch, the USS LAKE ERIE (CG-70) detected and tracked the missile with its onboard AN/SPY-1 radar. The ship, equipped with the second-generation Aegis BMD weapon system, Developed a fire control solution and launched the SM-3 Block IB missile. The SM-3 maneuvered to a point in space based on guidance from the Aegis BMD Weapons Systems and released its kinetic warhead. The kinetic reentry vehicle warhead acquired the target, diverted into its path, and, using only the force of a direct impact, engaged and destroyed the target.
Initial indications are all components Furniture Performed as designed. Program will Officials Assess and evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data khi thu được the test.
This test exercised the latest version of the second-generation Aegis BMD Weapon System and Standard Missile, Providing capability for engagement of longer-range ballistic missiles and more sophisticated.
Last night's event, designated Flight Test Standard Missile-19 (FTM-19), was the third Consecutive Intercept successful test of the Aegis BMD 4.0 Weapon System and the SM-3 Block IB missile guided. Previous successful ABMD 4.0 SM-3 Block IB intercepts occurred on May 9, 2012 and June 26, 2012. Other Aegis BMD intercepts have employed the ABMD 3.6 and 4.0 with the SM-3 Block IA missile, Which is currently operational on U.S. Navy ships deployed across the globe.
FTM-19 Intercept is the 25th successful flight test in 31 attempts for the Aegis BMD program since flight testing Began in 2002. Across all programs Ballistic Missile Defense System, this is the 59th successful hit-to-kill Intercept in 74 flight tests since 2001.