The Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA interceptor missile, the most advanced interceptor in the AEGIS Missile Defense System aboard U.S. Navy warships, was successfully test fired for the first time in waters of Hawaii.

This test aboard the USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, also marks the first time an SM-3IIA was launched from an Aegis warship, and the first intercept using the Aegis Baseline 9.C2 (BMD 5.1) weapon system.

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SM-3 Block IIA is the latest variant of the RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3), a ship-based missile system used by the Navy to intercept short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM) as a part of Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System. SM-3 is primarily designed as an anti-ballistic missile missile but was successfully employed as an anti-satellite weapon once before.

The SM-3 Block IIA interceptor is designed to defeat short-range missiles and IRBMs. It can be launched from Aegis-equipped warships or Aegis Ashore sites such as one in Romania.

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA); Japan's Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the U.S. Navy conducted the missile's flight test on Feb. 3.

"Today's test demonstrates a critical milestone in the cooperative development of the SM-3 Block IIA missile," said MDA Director Vice Admiral Jim Syring.

"The missile, developed jointly by a Japanese and U.S. government and industry team, is vitally important to both our nations and will ultimately improve our ability to defend against increasing ballistic missile threats around the world."

During the interceptor test, a medium-range ballistic missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Kauai, Hawaii. John Paul Jones tracked the target missile with its onboard AN/SPY-1D(V) radar using the Aegis Baseline 9.C2 weapon system.

Upon acquiring the target, the ship launched an SM-3 Block IIA guided missile, which intercepted the target. Preliminary data shows the test met its primary objective.

The warhead aboard the SM-3 Block IIA interceptor is the Lightweight Exo-atmospheric Projectile (LEAP).

LEAP is a lightweight miniaturized kinetic kill vehicle designed to destroy incoming ballistic missiles both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere. 

TagsStandard Missile-3 (SM-3), Block IIA interceptor missile, U.S. Navy, AEGIS Missile Defense System, USS John Paul Jones, RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3), Lightweight Exo-atmospheric Projectile, LEAP