The Navy, using a new version of the Standard surface-to-air missile, was able to shoot a ballistic missile target out of the sky, the Pentagon announced on Friday.
The test puts the service in "a new era where the Navy will play an increasingly vital role for the defense of forces ashore," the statement said.The idea is to have Navy vessels provide protection from incoming missiles for strategic ports, airfields and bases when U.S. forces are deployed around the world.
The test occurred at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico Friday morning.
During the test, a modified long-range SM-2 Standard missile using an infrared seeker destroyed a surface-to-surface Lance ballistic missile, the statement said.
The Navy said it intends to have the cruisers USS Lake Erie and USS Port Royal, both home-ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, conduct the first at-sea tests of the new missile system.
The new missile was built by the Standard Missile Co., which is jointly owned by Hughes Missile Systems Co. and Raytheon Co.