Article Posted on : - Jun 08, 2015

The first live fire of the SM-3 Block IIA. A US MDA photo

WASHINGTON (BNS): The US and Japan have jointly carried out a successful test firing of the new Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA variant.

The test, the first-ever live test firing of the advanced missile system, was conducted on Saturday (June 06) from the Point Mugu Sea Range, San Nicolas Island, California.

It involved the Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI), Japan Ministry of Defence (MOD), the US Missile Defence Agency (MDA), and the US Navy.

The missile successfully demonstrated flyout through nosecone deployment and third stage flight, the MDA said, adding that no intercept was planned, and no target missile was launched.

Program officials will evaluate system performance based upon telemetry and other data obtained during the test, it further said.

The SM-3 IIA, co-developed with Japan, is a 21-inch variant of the previously-built SM-3 missile. It is designed to defeat medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles.

Developed by Raytheon with bigger rocket motors and more capable kill vehicle, the SM-3 Block IIA is on track for deployment at sea and ashore in 2018.

The Standard Missile (SM) is being developed as part of the MDA's sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defence System. The missiles are deployed on Aegis cruisers and destroyers to defend against short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats in the midcourse phase of flight.