U.S. Successfully Conducts Intercept of Ballistic Missile Target

U.S. Navy Sailors aboard USS John Finn (DDG 113) and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully conducted an intercept of a medium-range ballistic missile target with a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile during a flight test off the west coast of Hawai‘i.

PACIFIC OCEAN (Oct. 26, 2018) A Standard Missile (SM) 3 is launched from the guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn (DDG 113) as part of a successful U.S. Missile Defense Agency intercept test of a target missile launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Kauai, Hawaii. PC: Missile Defense Agency

The SM-3 Block IIA is being developed cooperatively by the U.S. and Japan and operates as part of the AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense system.

On Friday, Oct. 26, 2018, the target missile was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i. John Finn detected and tracked the target missile with its onboard AN/SPY-1 radar using the Aegis Baseline 9.C2 weapon system. Upon acquiring and tracking the target, the ship launched an SM-3 Block IIA guided missile which intercepted the target.

“This was a superb accomplishment and key milestone for the SM-3 Block IIA return to flight,” said MDA Director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves. “My congratulations to the entire team, including our Sailors, industry partners, and allies who helped achieve this milestone.”

A target missile is launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Oct. 26. PC: Missile Defense Agency

Based on observations and initial data review, the test met its objectives. Program officials will continue to evaluate system performance.

Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense is the naval component of the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System. The MDA and the U.S. Navy cooperatively manage the Aegis BMD program. The Missile Defense Agency’s mission is to develop and deploy a layered Ballistic Missile Defense System to defend the U.S., its deployed forces, allies and friends from ballistic missile attacks of all ranges in all phases of flight.