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< CHEERS, APPLAUSE >
On February 24, 2005,
the US Navy and the Missile Defense Agency
completed their 5th successful intercept of a ballistic missile target
from the sea,
paving the way for the upcoming deployment
of and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense engagement capability.
The target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility
on the island of Kauai.
The target flew a nominal short-range, ballistic missile trajectory, reaching an altitude
of over 100 miles and the velocity of over 5000 mph.
A US Navy Aegis cruiser, USS Lake Erie,
was positioned off the coast.
As the target rose above the horizon the SPY-1 radar acquired the target and
placed it in track
The Aegis BMD Weapons System developed a fire control solution
and the crew of the Lake Erie readied the missile for launch.
"Eagle Away!"
Approximately two minutes after target launch, the USS Lake Erie fired the Standard Missiles-3.
The missile completed booster burn and separation,
followed by second stage rocket motor burn and separation.
An airborne camera tracked the missile throughout most of its flight.
After second stage separation the third stage rocket motor ignited,
propelling the SM-3 up out of the atmosphere and into space.
The velocity, direction and control were provided by thrust vector control and an
attitude control system.
After the first pulse of the third stage, the missile pitched over,
ejected the nosecone, exposing the SM-3 Kinetic Warhead and pitched back
toward the target vehicle.
According to the plan, the second pulse of the third stage was never fired.
This was the first test of a single pulse engagement.
The flexibility of the multipulse third stage
provides a very large engagement battle space against a wide variety of threats.
Roughly 30 seconds prior to intercept, the Kinetic Warhead was ejected.
After separation, the Kinetic Warhead initiated the solid diverted and attitude control system.
It acquired the target in its field of view and began tracking and divert maneuvers.
The Kinetic Warhead performs a slight coning maneuver to maintain target track
In the final seconds, the coning maneuvers stops and the target image
grows in the field of view.
A direct hit!
The Kinetic Warhead selected and hit the predictive impact point on
the target warhead section.
This data was downlinked to the ship by a missile downlink system,
which helped to evaluate kill assessment algorithms and techniques.
Numerous ground, sea and airbase platforms observed the intercept.
Energy from the impact is calculated to be in excess of 125 MegeJoules,
equivalent of a 10 ton truck traveling over 600mph.
Also for the first time, a prototype of the two color SM-3 seeker
flew on board the WASP aircraft. It tracked the target and post intercept debris
for over 300 seconds gathering valuable technical data.
This was the 5th successful intercept
for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense flight test program.
It paves the way for the deployment of a Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense engagement
capability, later this year.
In addition to Lake Erie, an Aegis destroyer, USS Russell,
was also one station observing the test.
USS Russell was equipped with a prototype Aegis BMD signal processor
which provides real time discrimination
through medium band and synthetic wideband signal processing.
Data gathered from USS Russell will reduce risk for Block 06 deployment.
A new BMDS element was also gathering data during the test event.
The TPS-X radar, a prototype of the forward based X-band radar observed the
target vehicle at intercept, from its location on the island of Kauai.
The FTM 04-1 test validated the operational Aegis BMD
engagement sequence. It demonstrate many critical components and functions
including Aegis BMD 3.0 Weapona System,
prototype Aegis BMD signal processor,
SM-3 Blk I configuration,
and single pulse third stage operation.
Aegis BMD is already playing a critical role in the Ballistic Missile
Defense System architecture.
Starting in 2004, several Aegis destroyers will deploy to the sea of japan.
Providing forward based surveillance and tracking
support of the ground-based, mid-course defense system.
Last year,
the first five SM-3 initial deployment rounds were delivered to the Missile Defense Agency.
And in 2005, full functionality will be implemented
and in the first set of Aegis cruisers provided an engegament capability, against short
to medium range ballistic missiles.
Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense,
We deliver!