“Soaring Success: Aegis Combat System Takes Center Stage in NATO’s Aerial Defense Showdown”
The U.S. Navy, in partnership with the Missile Defense Agency and supported by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), successfully conducted a series of Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) assessments in the Atlantic Ocean as part of Formidable Shield 2017 (FS-17) from September 24 – October 17, 2017. Naval forces from eight allied NATO nations took part in this important exercise.
Formidable Shield is designed to demonstrate and bolster allied collaboration within a unified air and missile defense framework, leveraging NATO command-and-control protocols and data link systems.
In a significant demonstration, a U.S. Navy ship utilizing the BMD 4.0.3 Aegis Combat System successfully carried out a simulated SM-3 Blk IB TU engagement against a live short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) target, with remote tracking data supplied by a Spanish F-100 class vessel. Simultaneously, another U.S. Navy ship operated with the Baseline 9.C1 integrated air and missile defense capability, launching SM-2 missiles at cruise missile targets while maintaining surveillance on the SRBM.
In a different scenario, a U.S. Navy vessel equipped with the BMD 4.0.3 Aegis Combat System effectively neutralized a medium-range ballistic missile target using an SM-3 Blk IB TU.
“These evaluations showcase the versatility and effectiveness of the Aegis Combat System in cooperation with various international navies,” remarked Jim Sheridan, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Naval Combat & Missile Defense Systems. “Partnering with our allied nations and the U.S. Navy emphasizes the interoperability of the Aegis Combat System with diverse systems within a cohesive air and missile defense framework.”
As a recognized global authority in system integration and the evolution of air and missile defense technologies, Lockheed Martin provides premier missile defense solutions that protect civilians, critical assets, and deployed forces against current and emerging threats. The company’s vast expertise includes missile design and manufacturing, hit-to-kill capabilities, infrared detection, command and control/battle management, as well as precise tracking optics, radar and signal processing, in addition to realistic threat scenarios for missile defense evaluations.
