Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System tracks and simulates 3 ballistic missile engagements
NewsFebruary 27, 2015
WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY, Va. The Missile Defense Agency announced that it launched three short-range ballistic missile targets near-simultaneously from NASA’sWallops Flight Facility. Two U.S. Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile defense (BMD) destroyers then acquired and tracked the targets, while another destroyer also participated in associated operations.
Using this information, the Aegis BMD ships performed simulated Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IB guided missile engagements with the Distributed Weighted Engagement Scheme (DWES) capability enabled. The DWES uses an automated engagement coordination scheme between multiple Aegis BMD ships that figures out which ship is the preferred shooter, thus reducing duplication of BMD engagements and missile expenditures while also ensuring BMD threat coverage. Several fire control, discrimination, and engagement functions were also exercised. Since no SM-3 guided missiles were launched, the test didn't include an attempted intercept.
Naval vessels participating in the test were the USS CARNEY (DDG-64), USS GONZALEZ (DDG-66), and USS BARRY (DDG-52).
Designated Flight Test Other (FTX)-19, the test was the first to gauge the ability of the Aegis BMD 4.0 weapon system to simulate engagements of a raid that had three short-range, separating ballistic missile targets. This was also the first time Aegis BMD 4.0 ships utilized the DWES capability with live targets.
MDA officials will use test results to improve the BMD System and support the advancement of Phase 2 of the Phased Adaptive Approach for missile defense in Europe to enable protection of U.S. deployed forces and European allies and partners.
Aegis BMD is the naval component of the MDA’s Ballistic Missile Defense System. The MDA and the U.S. Navy cooperatively manage the Aegis BMD program. For information on the Ballistic Missile Defense System, visit http://www.mda.mil/system/system.html.
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