(STL.News) U.S military has achieved a major milestone when it comes to ballistic missile defense.
In a test, an SM-3 Block IIA missile has successfully destroyed a mock intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) target.
U.S. Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Navy is said that the test “met its primary objective” — proving that an SM-3 Block IIA can engage an ICBM threat.
U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Jon Hill, the Director of MDA, also said the following in a statement:
“This was an incredible accomplishment and critical milestone for the Aegis BMD SM-3 Block IIA program. The Department is investigating the possibility of augmenting the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system by fielding additional sensors and weapon systems to hedge against unexpected developments in the missile threat. We have demonstrated that an Aegis BMD-equipped vessel equipped with the SM-3 Block IIA missile can defeat an ICBM-class target, which is a step in the process of determining its feasibility as part of an architecture for layered defense of the homeland. My congratulations to the entire test team, including our military and industry partners, who helped us to achieve this milestone.”
Bryan Rosselli, vice president of Strategic Missile Defense at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, the company responsible for developing the SM-3 Block IIA in collaboration with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said,
“This first-of-its-kind test shows that our nation has a viable option for a new layer of defense against long-range threats”
In this video Defense Updates analyzes why SM-3 Block IIA intercepting an ICBM is a major breakthrough?
YouTube video provided courtesy of Defense Updates
NOTE: STL.News does NOT guarantee the accuracy of the content contained within the video as we have not independently verified the information.