|
Caption:
PACIFIC OCEAN (March 26, 2009) -- The San Diego-based guided-missile
destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) fires a missile Thursday, March 26, 2009
during training exercise Stellar Daggers in the Pacific Ocean. Benfold
engaged multiple targets with Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIIA and
modified SM-2 BLK IV missiles. The overall objective of Stellar Daggers
was to test the Aegis system's sea-based ability to simultaneously
detect, track, engage and destroy multiple incoming air and ballistic
missile threats during terminal or final phase of flight. The Benfold's
Aegis Weapons System successfully detected and intercepted a cruise
missile target with a SM-2 BLK IIIA, while simultaneously detecting and
intercepting an incoming SRBM target with a modified SM-2 BLK IV. This
is the first time the fleet has successfully tested the Aegis system's
ability to intercept both an SRBM in terminal phase and a low-altitude
cruise missile target at the same time. U.S. Navy
photo (RELEASED)
|
