Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Navy and the Missile Defense Agency successfully completed the first live fire test of Aegis Ashore, where the new land-based system safely launched and controlled a missile against a simulated target.

The test demonstrated Aegis Ashore’s ability to provide proven missile defense capabilities against a ballistic missile threat.

The test, known as Aegis Ashore Control Test Vehicle-01 (AA CTV-01) flight test, is the first live fire event for the Aegis Ashore system at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in Hawaii. During the event, a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IB guided missile was launched while a simulated target was tracked by the Aegis Weapon System. This is the first Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system test using a land-based missile launcher.

“This test is a very significant milestone for this joint government industry team, not only because it is the first live fire of Aegis Ashore but also because it has happened on-schedule with an exceptionally tight program timeline. We’re now one step closer to achieving an operational Aegis Ashore capability to combat missile defense threats to further protect our nation and allies,” said Brendan Scanlon, Lockheed Martin’s Director of Aegis Ashore Programs. 

As an essential part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach, Aegis Ashore uses the proven capability of sea-based Aegis BMD and deploys it in a land-based application using the newest generation of BMD, known as BMD 5.0. The first Aegis Ashore system is installed in a deckhouse at PMRF, while the second system will be delivered to Romania for operational capability next year.

The central component of the Lockheed Martin-developed Aegis BMD Combat System is the SPY-1 radar; the most widely-fielded naval phased array radar in the world. The Aegis system and SPY-1 radar provide the U.S. and allied nations with advanced surveillance, anti-air warfare and missile defense capabilities.