On November 22, U.S. officials stated that NATO warships successfully engaged live and simulated ballistic and cruise missile threats during Exercise Formidable Shield in May. During the exercise, ships shared targeting information through an alliance-wide datalink and shot down supersonic targets with Aster 15 and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM). Speaking to the American Society of Naval Engineers, Navy representative Kevin Gillis said the warships communicated through NATO’s Air Command and Control System, allowing multiple assets to share ballistic missile tracking data.