US tests Aegis BMD Combat System
The US Navy’s USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, has successfully used Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Baseline 9 terminal engagement capability to detect and track a Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) target under the Flight Test Other-21 (FTX-21) test, Lockheed Martin announced on 19 May.
Baseline 9 is the latest evolution of the Aegis Combat System, certified in January 2016 by the navy and Missile Defense Agency. This latest Aegis Baseline provides integration with external ship systems and advanced defence capabilities.
It is fitted with the BMD 5.0 Capability Upgrade to engage ballistic missiles from the lower and upper atmosphere. It also has the SPY-1 naval phased array radar for advanced anti-air warfare, surveillance and missile defence capabilities.
Paul Klammer, director of Aegis BMD at Lockheed Martin, said: ‘This complex test demonstrates the continuing evolution of Aegis and builds further confidence in our ability to detect and maintain tracking on these types of threats.
‘The Navy and Missile Defense Agency, along with our engineers, build on the lessons learned from every test to ensure Aegis is keeping pace with dynamic threats.’
The tests build on the system’s successful tests in 2015, when it demonstrated its Integrated Air and Missile Defence capabilities and three Baseline 9 variants were certified.
More from Naval Warfare
-
![From the Baltic to the Gulf: where USV procurement is heading next]()
From the Baltic to the Gulf: where USV procurement is heading next
Saildrone’s new Copenhagen base is one sign of a larger shift, as navies globally turn to uncrewed vessels for surveillance and mine clearance.
-
![Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage]()
Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage
As AI dominates defence conversations, industry increasingly points to quantum sensing as the technology set to change submarine and uncrewed underwater vehicle operations.
-
![Competitive P17B tender marks a shift in Indian Navy frigate procurement]()
Competitive P17B tender marks a shift in Indian Navy frigate procurement
The Indian Navy's P17B programme is expected to combine greater weapons capacity with a competitive domestic construction model, although key systems could remain dependent on international supply chains.
-
![How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base]()
How France’s SNLE 3G programme is reshaping the naval nuclear industrial base
Extending far beyond a four-submarine replacement programme, France’s ballistic missile submarine effort is a decades-long industrial initiative designed to preserve the country’s ability to build and sustain nuclear-powered strategic platforms.
