US Navy’s destroyer tests Aegis combat system to track hypersonic target

The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) has completed Flight Test Other 40 (FTX-40), also known as Stellar Banshee, using Lockheed Martin’s Aegis combat system to detect, track, and perform an engagement against a live advanced hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) target using a simulated SM-6 Block IAU.

FTX-40, backed by the Missile Defense Agency, the US Navy, Lockheed Martin, and industry partners, tested a real-world hypersonic scenario, showcasing several capabilities.

Stellar Banshee introduced a new target and simulated missile, marking the successful use of the latest Aegis software in a virtualized configuration for a ballistic missile defense (BMD) flight test mission.

“Our Aegis Combat System successfully defended against a simulated hypersonic threat,” said Chandra Marshall, vice president of Multi-Domain Combat Solutions at Lockheed Martin.

“Aegis Baseline 9’s hypersonic defense advantage against a MRBM target brings incredible capability that allows our warfighter to see the unseen, sooner, ensuring our sailors get in front of threats quickly.”

Lockheed Martin also said that this successful test highlights the Aegis combat system’s capacity to adapt to the constantly evolving defense environment.

Last year, industry and government teams successfully executed FTX-23, otherwise known as Stellar Sisyphus, demonstrating a two-part developmental test of sensor-tracking and communications-link capabilities. The teams successfully intercepted an MRBM target using the SM-6 Dual II Software Upgrade interceptor missile in FTM-32.