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SM-3 Scores Hit After Fixes Implemented

Jul 31, 2009



By Amy Butler

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) successfully intercepted a subscale short-range ballistic missile target with an Aegis destroyer-launched SM-3 Block IA during a flight test July 30.

The target missile was launched at 11:40 p.m. EDT at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. Two minutes later, the USS Hopper fired the interceptor, which collided with the target about 100 miles above the Pacific Ocean, according to MDA officials.

This test was added to the schedule to evaluate changes made after last year’s failed attempt to intercept a target with an SM-3 Block IA launched by a Japanese Aegis-equipped ship (Aerospace DAILY, Nov. 21, 2009). After the Nov. 19 test, MDA officials said, “Target performance, interceptor missile launch and flyout, and operation of the Aegis Weapon System by the crew were successful, but an intercept was not achieved.”

A root cause has not been identified, and an MDA spokesman did not say whether fixes have been made to hardware or operational procedures resulting from the failure review. It is also unclear why a subscale target was used in the July 30 trial.

During the test, three U.S. Navy Aegis ships, the cruiser USS Lake Erie and destroyers USS Hopper and USS O’Kane detected and tracked the target with their SPY-1 radars, and each developed fire control solutions.

This was the first test in which the USS Lake Erie employed its upgraded software, which is needed to introduce the SM-3 Block IB into service. This interceptor, with an advanced seeker, will be flight tested in late 2010. During the test, the USS Lake Eerie exercised all fire control functions of this new software, MDA officials say.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/MDA-SM3073109.xml&headline=SM-3%20Scores%20Hit%20After%20Fixes%20Implemented&channel=defense