The US Navy and Missile Defense Agency, supported by Lockheed Martin has successfully conducted a series of Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) tests in the Atlantic Ocean during Formidable Shield 2017 (FS-17) from Sept. 24 – Oct. 17, 2017. Naval forces from eight NATO nations participated in the exercise.
Formidable Shield is designed to demonstrate and improve allied interoperability in an integrated air and missile defense environment, using NATO command-and-control reporting structures and datalink architecture.
In one event, a US Navy ship operating with the BMD 4.0.3 Aegis Combat System conducted a simulated SM-3 Blk IB TU engagement of a live short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) target using remote track data provided by a Spanish F-100 class ship. In the same event, another US Navy ship, operating with the Baseline 9.C1 integrated air and missile defense capabilty, launched SM-2 missiles against cruise missile targets while simultaneously tracking the SRBM.
In another event, a US Navy ship with BMD 4.0.3 Aegis Combat System successfully intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target with an SM-3 Blk IB TU.
"The tests show how flexible and versatile the Aegis Combat System is with other international navies around the world," said Jim Sheridan, vice president of Lockheed Martin's Naval Combat & Missile Defense Systems. "Working with our allied nations and the US Navy depicts the interoperability of the Aegis Combat System with other disparate systems in an integrated air and missile defense environment."