Lockheed Martin-MDA-U.S. Navy Aegis BMD Weapon System Guides Missile to Target Intercept

The Aegis Ballistic
Missile Defense (BMD) Weapon System with its Standard Missile (SM)-3
successfully intercepted a ballistic missile target outside the earth’s
atmosphere during its descent phase of flight today. The Aegis Weapon System,
aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), and range sensors
confirmed a direct hit of the missile target over the Pacific Ocean. Lockheed
Martin develops the Aegis BMD Weapon System and serves as the
Combat System Engineering Agent for Aegis BMD. Raytheon Company develops the
SM-3.

In addition to USS Lake Erie, the guided missile destroyer USS Russell
(DDG 59) participated in today’s test. A new Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense
Signal Processor (Aegis BSP), installed on the destroyer, conducted real-time
detection, tracking and discrimination of the target, as well as analysis of
target interception. This is the first time the Aegis BSP was used in an at-
sea flight test mission.

This test, Flight Test Mission 04-1, marks the fifth time the Lockheed
Martin Aegis BMD Weapon System successfully guided its SM-3 to a ballistic
missile target intercept. The test was sponsored by the Missile Defense
Agency.

“This was another extraordinary achievement for the Missile Defense Agency
and the U.S. Navy,” said Fred Moosally, president of Lockheed Martin’s
Maritime Systems & Sensors business unit. “The Aegis Ballistic Missile
Defense team is committed to successfully completing each milestone, and has
once again proven the surveillance, tracking and fire control capability of
the Aegis BMD Weapon System to meet every new challenge.”

The Aegis Weapon System is the world’s premier naval surface defense
system and is the basis for Aegis BMD, the primary component of the sea-based
element of the United States’ Ballistic Missile Defense System. The Aegis BMD
Weapon System seamlessly integrates the SPY-1 radar, the Mk 41 Vertical
Launching System and the SM-3 missile with its own command and control system.
It is capable of simultaneous operation defending against advanced air,
surface, subsurface and ballistic missile threats.

Currently, Aegis Weapon System capabilities are on 68 U.S. Navy cruisers
and destroyers on station around the world. Plans are currently underway to
install the system on an additional 18 U.S. Navy destroyers. In addition to
the U.S., Aegis is the weapon system of choice for Japan, Korea, Norway and
Spain. Recently, Australia selected Aegis for its new Air Warfare Destroyer
program.

Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the
development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the
first operational hit-to-kill missile defense system, PAC-3. It also has
considerable experience in interceptor systems, kill vehicles, battle
management command, control and communications, precision pointing and
tracking optics, as well as radar and other sensors that enable signal
processing and data fusion. The company makes significant contributions to
all 10 major U.S. Missile Defense Systems and participates in several global
missile defense partnerships. Lockheed Martin Corporation is headquartered in
Bethesda, MD.