SM-3 takes out medium-range ballistic missile target: A Raytheon Standard Missile-3 Block IA fired from the USS Lake Erie destroyed a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) target using tracking data from a remote Raytheon sensor payload on the Space Tracking and Surveillance System-Demonstrator (STSS-D) satellites.
"This test further expands our confidence in the SM-3's ability to engage targets using remote, netted sensor targeting," said Wes Kremer, Raytheon Missile Systems' vice president of Air and Missile Defense Systems.
"Launching on remote is important because it extends the engagement range of the missile, allowing ships with the SM-3 to expand the battlespace and eliminate threats sooner."
The MRBM target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility. As it rose above the horizon, the target was acquired and tracked by STSS-D. Threat data was then relayed through the Command, Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) system to the ship. The ship's crew fired the SM-3 based on STSS track data and before the ship's radar acquired the target.
