In today’s combat, posturing and escalation on the oceans around the world, notably the Red Sea and the South China Seas, the United States Navy is being challenged. To have the world’s supreme navy, we must continue to build a little, test a little, and learn a lot – Admiral Myer-, as we adapt and create capabilities to defeat and negate current and future threats to the United States Navy. Our ships have been attacked at sea in open water both with kinetic weapons and non-kinetic weapons. China and Russia have invested billions of dollars on Missile Defense that includes both kinetic and non-kinetic means to defeat power projection of the United States and its Navy.
“Then why have China and Russia for the last 20 years expended enormous amounts of resources fielding advanced integrated air and missile defense capabilities if it doesn’t make sense? They did because we didn’t, and that gives them an advantage. That advantage cannot be allowed to stand. That advantage has to be deterred.”
- General (Ret.) John Hyten, Hypersonic Missile Defense Forum, February 2, 2024
Off the coast of Hawaii yesterday, at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, MDA and the United States Navy demonstrated a first ever coordinated ballistic missile defense of the Aegis Weapon System Capabilities against Advanced Countermeasure Missile Target with the Navy’s newest radar, Spy 6 baseline 10, on the USS Jack G. Lucas and Spy 1 radar baseline 9 on the USS McCampbell. This “Super” integration of these sensors and processors to track, discriminate, and successfully target, through sophisticated complex countermeasures, a medium range ballistic missile target with the undisputed SM3 Block IIA is unprecedented. This test demonstrated one of the most complicated target discrimination and intercept missions by the Aegis Weapon System to date. This same interceptor has defeated an ICBM. This same interceptor is a pathfinder for Hyper Sonic Glide Defense.
“We are working closely with the Navy to provide new and enhanced capabilities against a constantly evolving threat. Today’s successful test was a key milestone in giving our Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense ships increased sensing and tracking tools to combat threat proliferation. This was an incredible accomplishment and I commend the U.S. Navy Sailors, the MDA team and our industry partners.”
- Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, MDA Director
A Super demonstration of the best defense in the World.
Congratulations to the World’s best defenders of men and women from Missile Defense Agency, the United States Navy and the Defense Industry
