U.S. completes key test of navy's missile defense system

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy said it succeeded in its weekend flight test of the newly developed Standard Missile-3. The test is said to have brought the military service closer to deployment of a system that can protect both ships and U.S. forces.

The test was conducted on the Aegis cruiser USS Lake Erie. The SM-3 missile was fired in the Pacific near Hawaii in what was termed the Aegis Light Exo-Atmospheric Projectile Intercept Flight Test Round. Interception was not attempted.

Pentagon officials said the missile demonstrated airframe stability and control through nominal kinetic warhead fourth stage separation, Middle East Newsline reported. The SM-3 is the navy's new exo-atmospheric missile developed to counter theater ballistic missile threats outside the atmosphere.

"It's time to deliver what we've promised on the test range," said Rear Adm. Rodney Rempt, assistant chief of naval operations for missile defense.

"The engineering data we'll derive from this test will definitely move us along the SM-3 path to intercept."

The weekend test was the third in a planned series of nine test flights. The project's ground test program has already conducted significant testing of elements of the SM-3 missile.

Officials said both Aegis and other variants of the SM-2 missile are currently at sea in more than 50 Aegis cruisers and destroyers, with more than 25 ships in the production and planning pipeline. The project is sponsored by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization.

Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is the prime contractor for the development and production of the SM-3 missile. Lockheed Martin Naval Electronic and Surveillance systems manufactures the Aegis Weapon System installed onboard Aegis cruisers and destroyers and is also the prime contractor for the Vertical Launch System.

In another development, ATK's Aerospace Propulsion Company has successfully completed a static test firing of a solid propulsion rocket motor for the ground-based interceptor missile element of the National Missile Defense program. The company is developing the motor for Boeing, the prime contractor for the NMD program.