Japan Missile Defense Flight Test Successful Through Intercept
(Source: US Missile Defense Agency; issued Sept 12, 2018)
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Atago launched an SM-3 Block IB air-defense missile for the first time during the latest Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) flight test on Sept. 12. (MDA photo)
The event, designated Japan Flight Test Mission-05 (JFTM-05), was conducted in order to demonstrate a successful engagement of a target missile from the JS ATAGO using the sea-based midcourse engagement capability provided by Aegis BMD.
The JFTM-05 test event verified the newest BMD engagement capability of the Japan (J6) Aegis BMD configuration of the recently upgraded Japan destroyer, JS ATAGO (DDG-177). At approximately 10:37pm HST on September 11, 2018 a simple separating, ballistic missile target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii.
JS ATAGO crew members detected and tracked the target. The Aegis Weapon System then developed a fire control solution and a Standard Missile -3 Block IB Threat Upgrade (SM-3 Blk IB TU) missile was launched. The SM-3 successfully intercepted the target above the Pacific Ocean. JFTM-05 is a significant milestone in the growing cooperation between Japan and the U.S. in the area of missile defense.
“This successful test is a major milestone verifying the capabilities of an upgraded Aegis BMD configuration for Japan's destroyers," said MDA Director Lt. Gen. Sam Greaves. “This success provides confidence in the future capability for Japan to defeat the developing threats in the region. My congratulations to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, our MDA team, and our industry partners. We are committed to assisting the Government of Japan in upgrading its national missile defense capability against emerging threats.”
"Congratulations and thank you very much to all concerned with the test," said RADM Akira Saito, Senior Director General, Operations & Plans Department, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), and on-site lead for the test. "I believe the success of this flight test mission (JFTM-05) further strengthened the Japanese BMD system. We, the JMSDF and U.S. Navy, will enhance our relationship and cooperation to continuously promote our ballistic missile defense."
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Standard Missile-3 Intercepts Ballistic Missile Target During Japanese Test At Sea
(Source: Raytheon Co.; issued Sept. 12, 2018)
A Raytheon Company SM-3 Block IB missile intercepted a ballistic missile target, marking the first time Japan has tested the sophisticated interceptor as announced by MDA.
The target missile was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii, and the interceptor was launched from the Japanese ship JS Atago (DDG-177), verifying the newest ballistic missile defense engagement capability of the upgraded destroyer.
The flight test mission is a significant milestone in missile defense cooperation between Japan and the U.S. Japan currently employs the SM-3 Block IA interceptor, but the IB variant's improved two-color seeker and upgraded throttling divert and attitude control system enables engagements with a larger set of threats.
"The Standard Missile-3 family consistently demonstrates capability against sophisticated threats, both on land and at sea," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. "This test underlines the importance of allied ballistic missile defense interoperability and the powerful results we generate when we work together with our allies."
The SM-3 is produced at Raytheon's Space Factory in Tucson, Arizona, and the company's integration facility in Huntsville, Alabama.
Raytheon Company, with 2017 sales of $25 billion and 64,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.
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