Successful Aegis Combat System Test Brings BMD to Japanese Fleet

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Editor Missiles
JS ATAGO (DDG-177) successfully completed an Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) intercept flight test off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, bringing BMD capability to the Japanese fleet.

KAUAI, Hawaii, September 13, 2018. The JS ATAGO (DDG-177), supported by the US Navy, Missile Defense Agency and Lockheed Martin, used an upgraded Aegis Combat System, testing their Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capability for the first time.

The Japanese Flight Test Mission-05 exercise on September 11 successfully demonstrated organic engagement of a simple separating target.

 

The JS ATAGO is now the most advanced warship in the Japanese fleet following this modernization effort. The JS ATAGO Aegis Weapon System merges BMD into an Integrated Air and Missile Defense capability using commercial-off-the-shelf and open architecture technologies including the Aegis Common Source Library (CSL).

JS ATAGO is the first international ship to benefit from the CSL, which allows far greater interoperability across the fleet, reducing development training and sustainment costs. It also improves flexibility in crew assignments.

 
“This baseline modernization effort streamlined their lifetime support costs and provided a means to gain advanced BMD capability”

“I commend the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force for their commitment to affordability and innovation,” said Mary Keifer, director, Lockheed Martin’s Aegis International programs, Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors. “This baseline modernization effort streamlined their lifetime support costs and provided a means to gain advanced BMD capability.”

This successful BMD test builds upon joint research investments by the United States and Japan. Lockheed Martin is developing a Baseline 9 variant computer program for deployment on Japan’s newest Aegis destroyers.