Mary-Louise Hoffman
The Missile Defense Agency has collaborated with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Pacific Command to demonstrate the target detection features of a Lockheed Martin-built Aegis weapon system installed on the USS John Paul Jones guided-missile destroyer.
MDA said Tuesday the Aegis Baseline 9.C1 Weapon System worked to detect and track a medium-range ballistic missile target that was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, during the non-intercept flight test.
The system recognized the threat with its AN/SPY-1 naval radar technology, MDA noted.
Flight Test Other-21 occurred Tuesday at around 9:02 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time and aimed to determine if an Aegis Baseline 9.C1 configured ship could spot MRBM targets within Earth’s atmosphere.
MDA plans to use the data collected during the test to update the U.S.’ Ballistic Missile Defense System.
The Aegis Combat System is the sea-based element of the BMD system and comprises air search radar, display and underwater countermeasure systems.
