Lockheed Martin’s latest Aegis Combat System has demonstrated in a Missile Defense Agency-led test its new capabilities to identify and launch a missile to deter a medium range ballistic missile threat.
The Flight Test Standard Missile-45 program provided the company an opportunity to showcase the new functions of Aegis Baseline 9.C2 or BMD 5.1 for engagement assessment, bi-directional missile communications and sensor advancement, Lockheed said Friday.
The effort aboard the USS John Finn succeeds an assessment of the missile defense system with the DDG 177 Atago-class guided missile destroyer in September, as well as supports the joint research work of the U.S. and Japan.
Lockheed is in the process of developing a BMD 5.1 variant computer program for Japan’s Aegis-capable destroyer ships under a $135.8M foreign military sales contract.