Aegis Ashore completes live fire intercept test
The US Navy, Lookheed Martin and the Missile Defense Agency have successfully conducted the first live fire intercept test of Aegis Ashore, with a ballistic missile target destroyed at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), Lockheed Martin announced on 10 December.
The system’s launch-on-remote ability was demonstrated during the test. Aegis Ashore used information from another radar system to launch an intercept missile before switching to its own SPY-1 radar to guide that missile to the target.
Brendan Scanlon, director of Aegis Ashore programs, Lockheed Martin, said: ‘This launch on remote capability helps broaden the reach of Aegis systems by allowing individual Aegis units to use data from networked sensors to track and engage threats. This test speaks to the flexibility of the Aegis concept, where we can network together the proven capabilities of Aegis with other missile defense systems to create a total ballistic missile defense shield.’
Aegis Ashore is the land-based version of the Aegis Combat System and is powered by Baseline 9, the latest iteration of the Aegis configuration. It also features BMD 5.0 CU, the current generation of ballistic missile defence programming.
Aegis Ashore is an important element of the US European Phased Adaptive Approach, Phase II, a plan designed to guard deployed forces and the country’s European allies from ballistic missile attack.
More from Defence Notes
-
![“Capital follows confidence” as defence courts private money]()
“Capital follows confidence” as defence courts private money
Outside investment and the direction in which venture money flows may reveal what defence will buy years before formal programmes begin.
-
![Canada’s new military drone marketplace targets rapid acquisition pipeline]()
Canada’s new military drone marketplace targets rapid acquisition pipeline
The Department of National Defence expects initial contracts to deliver thousands of uncrewed systems, but has yet to establish the quantities, capability mix or deadline behind Ottawa’s promised tenfold expansion.
-
![Ukraine turns legacy Kongsberg land turrets into semi-autonomous USV weapons]()
Ukraine turns legacy Kongsberg land turrets into semi-autonomous USV weapons
The company told Shephard that Ukraine is operating modified Protector weapon stations originally supplied for armoured vehicles, with human operators authorising engagements from hundreds of kilometres away.
-
![UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour]()
UK urged to prioritise sea, air and space over heavy armour
A report from the Council on Geostrategy argues the UK should move away from a traditional balanced force and shift investment to naval, air and space capabilities, backed by a larger fleet of attack submarines and deeper AUKUS integration.
-
![Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era]()
Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era
At its technology summit in London, attended by Shephard, Thales UK examined the importance of speed to delivery, the growing focus on cross-domain capabilities and how procurement reform could be crucial for future battlefield advantage.
-
![Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain]()
Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.
