Earlier today off the Hawaii coast, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully conducted an intercept test with the  Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile. The SM-3 Block IIA was launched off of the newest Baseline 9 U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) ship, the USS John Finn (DDG 113), and successfully intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target proving out its capability to move forward in operational deployment in U.S Navy Aegis BMD Baseline 9 Ships around the World along with the Aegis Ashore sites in Eastern Europe.

This intercept test successfully validates this newest missile defense capability which has more range providing more defensive area and will specifically be deployed to the Aegis Ashore site in Poland directed by the third phase of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) to defend Europe from Iran. This newest interceptor to enter the fleet will provide additional capability to the current 13 Baseline 9 U.S. BMD Destroyers and Japanese Kongo-Class Aegis Baseline 9 Destroyers. The SM-3 Block IIA could also be deployed at the Aegis Ashore site in Romania.

We congratulate the U.S., Japan, and MDA for the coproduction and success of this tremendous missile that extends the range and defended area from ships and land-based sites making our world a safer place.