The US Navy has released a video demonstrating the ability of the Aegis missile defense system to repel cruise missile attacks flying at very low altitude. The exercise used SM-2 surface-to-air missiles from Lockheed Martin’s Aegis naval anti-aircraft system to intercept a GQM-163 Coyote supersonic target that was skimming the sea at a very low altitude.
The video shows a GQM-163, which mimics an anti-ship cruise missile, rapidly accelerating from its launch pad and streaking across the radar screen at impressive speed as it heads for its mock attack. However, seconds after GQM-163’s launch, the target is attacked by at least two Raytheon-developed SM-2 Standard interceptors fired by the cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the destroyer USS Mason.
Sea-grazing supersonic anti-ship missiles are some of the most worrisome threats Navy ships could face during a “high-level” attack because the “sea-grazing” flight path limits the ability of their sensors to detect the threat over the horizon.
The Aegis system consists of a combination of “software,” detection assets, and warship weapons to detect, classify, track, and destroy incoming threats. In addition, the system has the capability to connect multiple ships, aircraft, and other sensors into a network that forms a comprehensive screen capable of repelling large-scale attacks.
The exercise was conducted in the Atlantic Ocean off NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on March 27. The release of the video demonstrates the capability and effectiveness of the US Navy’s Aegis system in defending against incoming threats and bolstering the security of Navy ships.