The Missile Defense Agency and the Navy have completed a successful “hit to kill” missile defense test off Kauai, Hawaii, launching a Standard Missile-3 from an Aegis-class cruiser, USS Shiloh, on June 22. The test was the seventh successful intercept test in eight attempts involving the sea-based component of the system, according to MDA officials. It was the first time out for the refitted Shiloh and was the first time an ally participated in a US Aegis intercept test. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force provided one of the three Aegis destroyers used in the test.
As the list of countries developing both kinetic and non-kinetic space weapons grows, more nations are investing in “bodyguard” capabilities designed to protect and respond to threats against sovereign space assets, according to a new report.
