US Navy successfully intercepts a ballistic missile in space
The De Zeven Provinciën (equipped with the SMART-L MM/N radar) pictured with USS Paul Ignatius. (Photo: Thales)
US Navy intercepts a ballistic missile in space using data from the Thales SMART-L MM/N radar.
USN Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Paul Ignatius used data from the Thales SMART-L MM/N long-range naval surveillance radar to conduct a Launch on Remote test of a Standard Missile 3 (SM-3).
The data was used to guide the SM-3 and intercept a non-separating ballistic missile, which was outside Earth’s atmosphere.
The test took place during the At Sea Demo/Formidable Shield 2021 (ASD/FS21) exercise, which ends on 3 June.
The SMART-L MM/N radar was installed on the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën.
Without being cued, it autonomously detected and tracked the ballistic missile for more than five minutes as it reached speeds of 3km/s and an altitude of more than 300km.
ASD/FS21 involves ten countries, 15 ships and a variety of aircraft and land-based assets.
Other scenarios that tested the SMART-L MM/N were the engagement against a supersonic sea-skimming cruise missile and an integrated air and missile defence scenario, in which adversary aircraft were tracked at the same time as a ballistic missile threat.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, SMART-L is a 3D system transmitting in the D band and capable of detecting targets at a range of up to 400km.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power]()
Maritime defence in the Mediterranean faces challenges from vulnerable land power
As an indispensable energy crossroads, the Mediterranean is at serious risk from grey zone disruption. As navies increasingly employ AI data centres, what happens when cutting-edge defence technologies rely on the very infrastructure most susceptible to hybrid tactics?
-
![US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027]()
US Navy to conduct an experimentation campaign with emerging tech in 2026 and 2027
The Technology Operational Experimentation Events will inform future requirements as the US Navy looks for innovative solutions across three key operational domains.
-
![Future Canadian Continental Defence Corvette will provide “Halifax-equivalent capabilities”]()
Future Canadian Continental Defence Corvette will provide “Halifax-equivalent capabilities”
Although the CDC project is still in its early stages, the Canadian Department of National Defence already has some requirements for the future platforms.
