Japan/U.S. Missile Defense Flight Test Successful
Rear Admiral Katsutoshi Kawano, of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and Lt. General Henry “Trey” Obering III, Director of the United Stated Missile Defense Agency, announced on 17th December, 2007, the successful completion of the cooperative Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) intercept flight test, off the coast of Kauai in Hawaii. The event, designated Japan Flight Test Mission 1 (JFTM-1), marked the first time that an Allied Navy ship has successfully intercepted a ballistic missile target with the sea-based midcourse engagement capability provided by Aegis BMD.
The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense weapon system test was conducted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IA missile, launched for the first time from a Japanese destroyer, engaged and destroyed a medium-range ballistic missile target.
Japan Ship (JS) Kongo (DDG-173) launched the SM-3, destroying a target fired from the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii. While this was the first time the Japanese have tested the system, it marks the 12th successful intercept overall for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense SM-3.
In December 2003, Japan decided to upgrade their Kongo Class Destroyers with the U.S. Navy’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense capability. These installations are scheduled for 2007 through 2010. Each installation will be followed by a flight test to demonstrate the proper operation of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense equipment and computer programs. JS Kongo was the first ship to have the BMD upgrade installed.