SM-3 Block IIA Shoots Down ICBM Target In Space

An animation released by the Missile Defense Agency shows the moment during FTM-44 when the SM-3 Block IIA's kill vehicle intercepts the ICBM warhead in space.
Credit: Missile Defense Agency
A U.S. Navy SM-3 Block IIA missile late on Nov. 16 shot down an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) target in a landmark test for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), demonstrating a new layer of potential interceptors against a limited nuclear strike on targets within the contiguous U.S...
Steve Trimble

Steve covers military aviation, missiles and space for the Aviation Week Network, based in Washington DC.

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