US Navy tests Aegis combat system for hypersonic missile defence
Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Pinckney. (Photo: US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Sean Lynch)
The Arleigh Burke destroyer USS Pinckney undertook the tests against a simulated SM-6 missile.
The US Navy sent an Arleigh Burke destroyer to Hawaii late in March to conduct tests on the vessel’s ability to track and respond to hypersonic missile threats.
The test involved a simulated Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) interceptor and an MRBM modified with a Hypersonic Target Vehicle (HTV-1) front end. No actual missiles were fired during the tests, however.
Arleigh Burke destroyer DDG 91, the USS Pinckney, was chosen to undergo the test, which was designated “Stellar Banshee”.
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the US Navy, and Lockheed Martin came together to conduct the test, ensuring both the verisimilitude of
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