US Military Achieves First Ballistic Missile Interception Test from Guam
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Washington, Dec 11 (NationPress) The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has announced that it has achieved a successful interception of a ballistic missile target during a test off Guam for the first time.
The agency revealed that during the flight experiment, the Aegis Guam System integrated with the new AN/TPY-6 radar and Vertical Launching System, launched a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA, which successfully intercepted an air-launched Medium Range Ballistic Missile target off the coast of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. This information was reported by the Xinhua news agency, citing a component of the US Department of Defense.
The MDA stated, “The AN/TPY-6 radar tracked the target shortly after launch, marking the first end-to-end tracking usage of the radar during a live ballistic missile flight test.”
The agency further noted that “today's event represents a significant milestone in the defense initiatives for Guam and strengthens partnerships, providing essential support to the overall concept, requirements validation, data gathering, and model maturation for the future Guam Defense System (GDS).”
According to the agency, Guam serves as a strategic location for sustaining and maintaining the US military presence, and this test is the inaugural demonstration from Guam as part of a long-term initiative aimed at enhancing its defense capabilities.
