Click here - to select or create a menu

Naval News

DSEI Japan 2023
  • News
  • Event News
    • SNA 2023
    • Euronaval 2022
    • Indo Pacific 2022
    • Sea Air Space 2022
    • DIMDEX 2022
  • Interviews
  • Videos
  • Advertising
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Home» News»SM-3 Block IIA Set for First Ever ICBM Intercept Test
SM-3 Block IIA
SM-3 Block IIA is an exo-athmospheric interceptor

SM-3 Block IIA Set for First Ever ICBM Intercept Test

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), U.S. Navy and Raytheon are set to put the SM-3 Block IIA through its paces by testing the interceptor against an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) for the first time.

Xavier Vavasseur 24 Feb 2020

Naval News first learned about the upcoming ballistic missile defense test, which is set to take place at the end of the year, during the Surface Navy Association’s National Symposium (SNA 2020) which took place in January.

Our video interview with Raytheon on SM-3 during SNA 2020

Talking to Naval News at the show, Roy Donelson, senior director of strategic & missile defense systems at Raytheon, said “We are going to participate in a test that will take on advanced threats such as an ICBM”. Donelson confirmed this will be the first ever test of an SM-3 against an ICBM target.

To learn more details about this upcoming test, Naval News reached out to the Missile Defense Agency and asked the following questions:

Naval News: When and where the test will take place ?

MDA Spokeperson Heather Cavaliere: FTM-44 is scheduled for FY20-Q3 and will be conducted in the Pacific Ocean.

Naval News: Which ICBM target will be used? An actual Trident missile, or a surrogate target simulating an ICBM?

MDA Spokeperson Heather Cavaliere: A threat representative ICBM target. The unclassified designation for this target is ICBM T2 (Type 2) and it is manufactured by Northrop Grumman.

Naval News: Will the SM-3 Block IIA be launched from land or from a ship ?

MDA Spokeperson Heather Cavaliere: The SM-3 Block IIA missile will be launched from a ship. For operational security reasons, we do not release the name of the ship involved.

According to Gunter’s Space Page, the ICBM-T2 three stage launch vehicle is based likely on a Trident-C4 stage one and two Pegasus-based stages for simulating ICBM warheads for the MDA. The target vehicle is built by Orbital ATK, now Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems (NGIS). The first stage is likely a refurbished Trident-C4 stage topped by two stages based on Orion-50 motors, similar to the IRBM-T1 target missile. The vehicle is ground launched from Meck Island on the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein. Learn more about the MDA’s ballistic missile targets on this MDA PDF.

ICBM-T2 was previously used as target to test Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) as part of the MDA’s FTG-15 and FTG-11 in 2017 and 2019 respectively.

About SM-3 Block IIA Interceptor

SM-3 launch from a US Navy cruiser. MDA picture.

The SM-3 Block IIA is designed to destroy SRBM (short range ballistic missile) and IRBM (intermediate-range ballistic missiles). It is a joint development project started in 2006 by Raytheon and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

Compared to previous variant of the missile (like the SM-3 Block IB), the Block IIA variant features a larger rocket motor and a larger kinetic interceptor. According to its developer and manufacturer Raytheon, The SM-3 interceptor is a defensive weapon the U.S. Navy uses to destroy ballistic missiles. The interceptor uses sheer force, rather than an explosive warhead, to destroy its target. Its “kill vehicle” hits threats with the force of a 10-ton truck traveling 600 mph. This technique, referred to as “hit-to-kill,” has been likened to intercepting a bullet with another bullet.

The SM-3 Block IIA successfully completed a full engagement test against a medium-range ballistic missile target in October 2018.

The MDA awarded Raytheon a $1 billion SM-3 Block IIA contract in December 2019. Earlier that year, the U.S. State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Japan of up to 73 SM-3 Block IIA missiles for an estimated cost of $3.295 billion.

Ballistic Missile BMD ICBM MIssile Defense Agency Raytheon SM-3 US Navy 2020-02-24
Tags Ballistic Missile BMD ICBM MIssile Defense Agency Raytheon SM-3 US Navy
Facebook Twitter Stumble linkedin Pinterest More

Authors

Posted by : Xavier Vavasseur
Xavier is based in Paris, France. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). Xavier has been covering naval defense topics for nearly a decade.

Related Articles

War in Ukraine: Western Navies See Lessons from Strategic to Tactical Levels

War in Ukraine: Western Navies See Lessons from Strategic to Tactical Levels

Dr Lee Willett 27 Jan 2023
The lessons emerging from the war in Ukraine for Western navies range from the strategic to the tactical levels, the chiefs of the French, UK, and US navies told the recent inaugural Paris Naval Conference.
U.S. Navy awards contract to buy multi-engine training system METS

U.S. Navy awards contract to buy multi-engine training system METS

Naval News Staff 27 Jan 2023
The U.S. Navy announced on Jan. 25 that it awarded Textron Aviation a single, firm-fixed-price contract to develop the T-54A multi-engine training system (METS) aircraft.
BIW Delivers Flight IIA Destroyer Carl Levin (DDG 120) to US Navy

BIW Delivers Flight IIA Destroyer Carl Levin (DDG 120) to US Navy

Naval News Staff 27 Jan 2023
The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the Arleigh Burke-class Flight IIA destroyer, the future USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), from General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Jan. 26.

3 Comments

  1. Pingback : JMSDF Commissions First-of-Class AEGIS Destroyer DDG-179 JS Maya まや - Naval News

  2. Pingback : JMSDF to Put its Latest Aegis Destroyer JS Maya through its Paces - Naval News

  3. Pingback : Final JMSDF Aegis Destroyer 'Haguro' はぐろ Starts Sea Trials - Naval News

Advertisement

Advertisement

Legal / Privacy Policy
About Us
Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 Naval News
All Rights Reserved