Aegis Weapon System Guides Missile to Target Intercept

KAUAI, Hawaii, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Weapon System with its Standard Missile (SM)-3 successfully intercepted a separating ballistic missile target outside the earth's atmosphere during its midcourse phase of flight today. Both the Aegis Weapon System aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) and range sensors confirmed a direct hit of the missile target over the Pacific Ocean. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) develops the Aegis BMD Weapon System and serves as the Combat System Engineering Agent for Aegis BMD.

USS Lake Erie, outfitted with the emergency engagement and Long Range Surveillance and Track (LRS&T) capability, acquired the target autonomously and provided guidance commands to the SM-3 to intercept the target. In addition to USS Lake Erie, the guided missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) participated in today's test. USS Hopper was deployed with tactical LRS&T capability. USS Hopper's Aegis BMD Weapon System detected and tracked the ballistic missile target, and provided fire control information to other elements of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).

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