Five out of six, according to federal officials, is pretty darn good. With the successful hit-to-kill test of an interceptor missile launched from the USS Lake Erie connecting with a short-range, ballistic target missile launched from Nohili Point on the
Five out of six, according to federal officials, is pretty darn good.
With the successful hit-to-kill test of an interceptor missile launched from the USS Lake Erie connecting with a short-range, ballistic target missile launched from Nohili Point on the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands yesterday, federal Missile Defense Agency representatives said five of the six tests resulted in successful intercepts of target missiles designed to mimic enemy or hostile incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry “Trey” Obering, director of the Missile Defense Agency, said yesterday’s test was the first using an operationally configured Standard Missile 3 interceptor, designed to intercept and destroy short- to medium-range ballistic missiles.
The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense, aboard the Lake Erie and many other Navy ships, is an integral part of the Ballistic Missile Defense System now being developed, tested and fielded by Missile Defense Agency leaders as part of a “layered” missile defense designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles of all ranges — short, medium, intermediate and long-range — during any phase of their flight.
The target missile was launched from PMRF at 11:03 a.m. About one minute later, officers on the USS Lake Erie launched the Standard Missile 3 from its patrol area located over 100 miles from Kaua‘i. The intercept was achieved about two minutes after the interceptor was launched, Obering said.
Officers aboard the USS Lake Erie detected, then tracked the target, developed a fire-control solution, and launched the Standard Missile 3. The interceptor missile tracked successfully to put itself into the path of the incoming target missile, and collided directly with the missile using only the force of the collision to demonstrate “hit-to-kill” technology.
This is the same technology used successfully in the development of the Ground-based Mid-course Defense system designed to intercept and destroy long-range missiles, and also used by the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 interceptor missile system developed by leaders in the Missile Defense Agency and now operational with the U.S. Army.
The Aegis destroyer, USS Russell, also participated in yesterday’s test, and was con-figured with the Ballistic Missile Defense Signal Processor (BSP) 1.0 in support of Block 06 risk-reduction activities.
BSP 1.0 provides a real-time radar capability for better chance of engagement success, Obering said.
In a test within the test, officials in an aircraft were able to use an infrared system aboard the interceptor missile to detect and track the target missile, collecting information that may be used to upgrade the SM-3 in the future.
Along with the BSP, this IR seeker will provide operators of Aegis BMD and the BMDS systems with significant capability against advanced threats, he said.
The system’s long-range surveillance and track capabilities now aboard the USS Lake Erie are essentially the same as those already installed on several Aegis destroyers attached to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
The Aegis Weapon System, the basis for the sea-based element of the Ballistic Missile Defense System, is currently deployed on 68 U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers, with 18 more ships currently planned to get the system that has offensive and defensive capabilities and the ability to track multiple tar-gets simultaneously.
Aegis is also the primary weapon system on the Japanese Kongo-class destroyers, and is part of two European ship construction programs — the Spanish F-100 and the Norwegian New Frigate. Also, the Republic of Korea is now building three Aegis-equipped destroyers, and Australia recently selected the Aegis Weapon System for its Air Warfare Destroyer program.
Leaders in the Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Navy cooperatively manage the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Program. Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors of Moorestown, N.J., is the prime contractor for the Aegis Weapon System and Vertical Launch System installed in Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers. Raytheon Missile Systems of Tucson, Ariz., is the prime contractor for the Standard Missile 3.
Three more missile-defense tests are scheduled at PMRF in calendar 2005, according to Chris Taylor of the Missile Defense Agency.
