SM-3 Block IIA completes second test
The US Navy and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) have successfully completed the second intercept flight test of Raytheon’s Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA.
The missile was launched from USS John Finn against a land-launched target resembling an advanced ballistic missile threat.
The next-generation SM-3 Block IIA interceptor is being developed and produced in cooperation with Japanese industry and will be deployable on land as well as at sea. It features larger rocket motors that will allow it to defend broader areas from ballistic missile threats and a larger kinetic warhead. The interceptor’s kinetic warhead has been enhanced, improving search, discrimination, acquisition and tracking functions
Taylor Lawrence, president, Raytheon Missile Systems, said: ‘This second intercept for the SM-3 Block IIA is a success we share with the MDA and the country of Japan, our cooperative development partners. Together, we are building the most advanced solutions for ballistic missile defence.’
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