Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System
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The first flight for Raytheon's SM-3 came in September 1999 during Control Test Vehicle (CTV)-1A. In January 2002, Aegis BMD and its SM-3 intercepted their first target during Flight Mission (FM)-2. This test saw the Lake Erie shoot down a test target launched from the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility located on the northwestern Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Twice more in 2002 did Lake Erie succeed in intercepting target missiles launched from PMRF, in June during FM-3 and then in November during FM-4.
The only 'miss' for Aegis to date occurred during the June 2003 FM-5 mission. The propulsion system used to guide the SM-3's kinetic warhead during the kill phase suffered a malfunction. During the next mission, FM-6 in December 2003, the malfunction was 'overridden' so as to not affect endanger the warheads ability to intercept. This override incapacitates a designed function of the guidance system, but allows for it to navigate without that particular function. FM-6 once again featured a successful intercept.
Prior to the FM-7 mission of February 2005, MDA decided to change the name of the flight tests to better reflect the program's position within the Block 2004/2006 schema of development. The new name, Flight Test Maritime (FTM) 04-1, indicted that this would be the first flight test under the Block 2004 development cycle for Aegis BMD. FM-7, or FTM 04-1, demonstrated yet again the system's ability to knock out enemy ballistic missiles as Lake Erie destroyed another target some hundred miles above the Pacific Ocean.
FM-8, or FTM 04-2, was the first mission to utilize a target missile with a separating warhead. This new target missile, called a Medium Range Target (MRT) more closely resembled real world threat missiles, but the SM-3 Block I missile was not fooled and intercepted the warhead to rack up the sixth intercept for the program out of seven tries in November 2005.
The most recent test event, FTM 04-3, came in June 2006 and once again utilized the MRT with its separating warhead. This event however would be the first where Lake Erie was not to be the firing platform, but instead deployed USS Shiloh (CG-67) which used for the first time the latest model of SM-3, the Block IA. For both ship and missile, the first time would prove successful.
FTM 04-3 was also historically significant for two reasons. First, it marked the first time another country would participate in the program as Japan sent its destroyer, JDS Kirishima (DDG-174) to the waters off of PMRF.
Secondly, during the weeks leading up to the test, North Korea had been identified as having an intercontinental ballistic missile, the Taepodong-2, capable of reaching mainland United States [link]. Intelligence suggested that North Korea was going to test fire this missile, leading to consternation not only in the U.S., but throughout the world. This triggered a thorough look at the U.S.'s missile defense capability, which had been up to this point been ridiculed by mainstream media and some government officials. The anti-BMD sentiment had been fueled by the failures of MDA's keystone program, Ground-Based Midcourse Defense(GMD).
US Navy interest in operations against ballistic missiles dates back to 1965 when Terrier and Tartar anti-aircraft missiles were test fired against Corporal and Redstone missiles. While some of those tests were successful, the capability was not exploited.
The current effort to deploy Aegis ballistic missile defense capability was kindled in the early 1990s to provide a weapon system vehicle for exploratory testing of LEAP technology being developed by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO), now MDA. The initial Aegis combat system success in demonstrating the potential for ballistic missile killing in 2002 may have contributed to President Bush's decision to build an emergency capability to be deployed by late 2004.
The US Navy is currently converting 15 Aegis equipped destroyers and 3 Ticonderoga class cruisers to incorporate ballistic missile defense capability. As of June, 2006, the USS Lake Erie, USS Shiloh and USS Port Royal have anti ballistic missile shoot down capability using the Standard Missile 3 (RM-161 SM-3)[link]. Operational tests are planned for later in 2006. While Aegis BMD ships transmit their initial target detection information to the national GMD system for potential defense of the US, they can also fire their Standard Missile-3 to provide theater level ballistic missile defense against short and intermediate range tactical ballistic missiles. An evolving program of capability improvements is also underway.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the program was the brainchild of former Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff Baxter.[#endnote_post]
Also see a similar program, the Army, land based THAAD system.
See also
Hemispheric Missile Defense Systems
Continental Missile Defense Systems
Theater Missile Defense Systems
Battlefield Missile Defense Systems
- MIM-104 Patriot missile
References
- ↑ Yochi J. Dreazen (May 24, 2005). "Rocker Jeff Baxter moves and shakes in national security". The Wall Street Journal. (available through the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: [article])
- Articles and data found at the [Center for Defense Information]
- Press releases issued by the [Missile Defense Agency]
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