On October 13, the USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) completed its first test launch of its MK 57 vertical launch system (VLS), firing an SM-2 surface-to-air missile in waters near California. The MK 57 system, which was first delivered with the Zumwalt in 2020, can accommodate larger and heavier missiles than the MK 41 systems employed on most...
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...
On February 26, the U.S. Navy successfully tested an SM-2 Block IIIB surface-to-air missile at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The launch marks the first test of an SM-2 missile manufactured after a production line restart in June 2017. Over 280 missiles are expected for delivery to foreign military sales customers in 2020. Related...
On August 20, Australian warship HMAS Hobart (DDG-39) launched an SM-2 interceptor in its first test of the weapons system. The missile, launched off the East Australian coast, successfully struck an unmanned target in the flight test. Commissioned in 2017, Hobart is the first ship in Australia’s fleet equipped with the Aegis Combat System, a...
On May 17, the U.S. State Department approved the potential sale of 94 SM-2 Block IIIB interceptors to South Korea. The deal, which also includes associated systems and technical assistance, is estimated at $313.9 million USD. On the same day, the State Department also announced its approval for the potential sale of 160 AIM-120C-7 Advanced...
On October 27, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) commissioned its second Hobart-class air warfare destroyer, HMAS Brisbane (DDG 41). Brisbane is the second vessel in the RAN’s three-ship program to replace its fleet of Adelaide-class guided-missile frigates, the first being HMAS Hobart (DDG 39), commissioned in September 2017. Equipped with the Aegis Combat System, the vessel...
In Summer 2018, the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) conducted five flight tests of the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) interceptor, according to a Raytheon news release. In the first exercise, ROKN fired two SM-2 Block IIIA missiles, testing its semi-active radar seeker technology. Then, in a second exercise, ROKN test fired three SM-2 Block IIIB to...
On July 31, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced U.S. State Department approval for the potential sale of SM-2 Block IIIA missiles to Denmark, stating, “The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Denmark of up to forty-six (46) Standard Missile, SM-2 Block IIIA All-Up Rounds, RIM BK...
On May 28, USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) tested a Standard Missile (SM-2), two days after the ship’s deployment with the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG). According to a Navy news release, “The missile exercise demonstrated The Sullivans‘ ability to defend against a close-in aerial attack. A BQM-74E air-launched drone served as the target. The ship...
On October 24, the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) successfully conducted a live-fire missile exercise using the updated Aegis Baseline 9 weapons system. During the missile exercise, USS Mobile Bay fired two Standard Missile-2s and one Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) at airborne training targets. Mass Communication SPC2 Lenny LaCrosse explains the significance...
