The Missile Defense Agency and the Navy this week began a series of tests in the Pacific Ocean to assess a previously unevaluated feature of Raytheon's Standard Missile-6 ship self-defense weapon: its ability to intercept short-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of flight, an objective key to the Pentagon's aim of fielding a comprehensive sea-based ballistic missile defense capability.
On July 29, MDA and the Navy initiated a series of tests at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii -- scheduled to conclude Aug. 4 -- that aim to test and certify the first increment of a sea-based terminal defense capability.
The test is dubbed Multi-Mission Missile Warfare (MMW) and divided into four events, according to MDA spokesman Rick Lehner.
"These events will demonstrate advanced Aegis tracking and engagement capabilities in the terminal phase of ballistic flight," Lehner said.
To date, MDA and the Navy have repeatedly demonstrated the ability of the Aegis BMD system to intercept short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles during the midcourse phase above the atmosphere with the Standard Missile-3 weapon system.
As part of a plan to incrementally improve the system, an objective is to also intercept short-range ballistic missiles inside the atmosphere. If effective, the SM-6 would replace the SM-2 Block IV interceptor currently deployed for terminal defense.
The new capability builds on the Navy's Aegis Baseline 9 architecture, adding terminal defense with the SM-6 guided missile and the BMD 5 series weapon system, according to MDA.
In 2014, MDA completed the SM-6 Dual I software build 1 -- also called Sea Based Terminal Increment 1 -- and demonstrated its performance in a simulated environment. This week's MMW events are intended to validate the capability; MDA also plans follow-on testing in fiscal year 2016.
"Events 1 and 2 will demonstrate the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capability to engage a short-range ballistic missile target with an SM-6 Dual I missile and the SM-2 Block IV missile in the endo-atmosphere," Lehner said.
"Events 3 and 4 will demonstrate the SM-6 Dual I capability against AW targets," he added.
MDA and the Navy are also planning to field a second increment of the sea-based terminal defense capability to be certified and fielded in 2018. -- Jason Sherman
