On November 19, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency chose Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon Missiles and Defense to complete an “accelerated concept design” of the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI). The GPI is MDA’s primary hypersonic defense program and is designed to intercept hypersonic weapons kinetically in the endoatmospheric glide phase. GPIs will equip U.S....
On November 18, CSIS and the U.S. Naval Institute hosted Rear Admiral Tom Druggan for a conversation on Aegis air and missile defense.
The United States has long worked with its allies on missile defense cooperation. Yet as missile threats proliferate, cooperation is increasingly important.
On November 16, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency and Navy conducted a successful test intercept of the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA against an ICBM-class target. Designated FTM-44 “Stellar Lance,” the event satisfies a Congressional mandate to test the SM-3 IIA against an ICBM by the end of 2020. The MDA released the following news release: ...
On July 20, the U.S. Navy took delivery of its first AN/SPY-6 radar array, the successor to the AN/SPY-1 radars currently equipped on Aegis ships and surface facilities. Intended for installation on the upcoming Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the SPY-6 is approximately 30 times more sensitive than legacy radars and is the first Navy...
On June 15, Japanese Minister of Defense Taro Kono announced that Japan would suspend plans to deploy the Aegis Ashore missile defense system due to “cost and schedule” concerns, triggering a government-wide review of Japan’s missile defense program. The plan, which would deploy Aegis Ashore systems in Yamaguchi and Akita prefectures, has faced multiple schedule...
On May 16, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) arrived at its new homeport in Rota, Spain, replacing USS Carney (DDG 64) in the Navy’s forward rotation. In a release, the Navy said the destroyer brings “top-of-the line capabilities” to the NATO’s missile defenses, introducing the Aegis Baseline 9/Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) 5.1...
The 2021 budget submission represents an inflection point for missile defense programs, the relationship between active defenses and other forms of missile defeat, and the institutional makeup of the missile defense enterprise.
On March 19, Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) commissioned JS Maya (DDG-179), the first of two Maya-class ships and the seventh Japanese ship equipped with the Aegis combat system. Equipped with the Aegis Baseline J7 system and Cooperative Engagement Capability, the Maya will be capable of engaging ballistic missiles with SM-6 and SM-3 Block...
On February 24, the Missile Defense Agency confirmed it would conduct an ICBM intercept test with the SM-3 Block IIA missile in the third quarter of 2020. Designated FTM-44, the test will represent the first ICBM-class intercept attempt for the SM-3 Block IIA missile. Co-developed by the United States and Japan, the SM-3 Block IIA...
