US Navy guided missile cruiser hosts Ballistic missile defense heads in Japan

The U.S. Forces Japan (USFJ) J3 director of operations and ballistic missile defense (BMD) leaders toured the U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG-67) on January 25.

As part of the special engagement, Shiloh’s commanding officer Capt. Adam Aycock provided a unit brief to Air Force Col. Jeff Alexander, director of operations for J3, and his team, regarding the multi-mission platform of the ship, as well as past and future operations.

“The Navy separates air defense from BMD. As a BMD ship, we are responsible for countering exo-atmospheric threats,” said Lt. Darnell Taylor, Shiloh’s ballistic missile defense officer. BMD addresses the threat of missiles which leave the atmosphere, and requires specialized technology available in the AEGIS system. “We host multi-national events like the BMD Syndicate to strengthen a common [operational task] language with U.S. allies and joint forces.”

Shiloh hosted the delegation in order to emphasize the ship’s capability in the defense of Japan, giving senior leaders a better understanding of its operational footprint. Col. Alexander and his staff were shown a video and received a brief detailing the role of Navy BMD and the overall planning and support of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

The visiting USFJ leaders also watched a training evolution in Shiloh’s combat information center to get a better understanding of the special skills and equipment needed to operate a BMD ship.

Shiloh is forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, in support of security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.