Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Combat System recently demonstrated simultaneous anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense capabilities during its first integrated air and missile defense test.
The successful test verified the capabilities of the most recent upgrade to the Aegis system, known as Baseline 9, which will provide integrated air and missile defense for the U.S. Navy’s fleet to engage multiple threats at the same time. This test also marks the first time the Aegis system has used the multi-mission signal processor (MMSP) in a real-world environment where external aircraft are “jamming” the system.
“It’s an exciting time to be part of Aegis’ evolution, ” said Jim Sheridan, director of Aegis Baseline 9 programs for Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems & Sensors business. “ This test is the culmination of two years of hard work by our Lockheed Martin engineers and marks the start of a new era where the Navy no longer has to choose between air or missile defense capabilities for any given mission.”
The demonstration was conducted at the U.S. Navy’s land-based test facility, the Vice Admiral James H. Doyle Combat Systems Engineering Development Site in Moorestown, N.J. Manufacturing work for the program will be performed in New Jersey, as well.
As a supplement to the Navy’s Baseline 9 system, MMSP combines next-generation Aegis BMD and anti-air warfare capabilities in an open combat system architecture. The processor is scalable and easily upgradeable.
Lockheed Martin is a leader in combat systems integration and the development of integrated air and missile defense systems and technologies. The company makes significant contributions to most major U.S. missile defense systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships.
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Naval Today Staff , May 18, 2012; Image: Lockheed Martin