Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) received the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance Missile Defender of the Year award for the 7th Fleet area of operations in recognition of excellence and leadership in missile defense.
The Missile Defender of the Year award is an annual honor given by the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, a non-profit organization devoted to building a wide range of successful missile defense systems for the U.S. The award recognizes and honors U.S. military commands and members who deploy on missile defense systems.
Capt. Kurush F. Morris, Shiloh’s commanding officer, said:
This honor is awarded to a ship or a platform that has a lot of input and play in the BMD [ballistic missile defense] world.
Shiloh is part of the George Washington Carrier Strike Group, forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, and has participated in an array of multilateral ballistic missile defense operations and exercises with partner nation navies to emphasize the importance of security and stability in the region.
Morris added:
Shiloh is currently the only Ticonderoga class cruiser assigned to the 7th Fleet that is BMD capable. Our primary mission is air defense and ballistic missile defense.
Shiloh is assigned to Task Force 70, which has operational control of all carrier strike groups and independently deployed cruisers, destroyers and frigates in the 7th Fleet area of operations.
Press release, Image: US Navy