Over the weekend, US Navy warships successfully utilized a missile interceptor in combat for the very first time. Their mission was to protect Israel from an unprecedented Iranian attack.
Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, announced that American forces utilized the Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles. These missiles were launched as part of a significant onslaught, consisting of over 300 missiles and drones, originating from Tehran and its affiliates.
During a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on Tuesday, Del Toro stated that the United States has been actively countering the ballistic missile threat from Iran. He mentioned that they have successfully fired SM-2s, SM-6s, and SM-3s to neutralize this threat.
US officials have confirmed that the USS Arleigh Burke and USS Carney, two destroyers deployed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, successfully intercepted and destroyed multiple Iranian ballistic missiles. How exactly the warships neutralized the threats has not yet been disclosed.
The copyright photo by API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images is an exceptional depiction of artistic talent and visual storytelling.
According to unnamed defense officials, it was reported by USNI News that the two ships successfully intercepted the missiles by firing between four and seven SM-3s. This marks the Navy’s first public acknowledgement of the deployment of SM-3s, as confirmed by Del Toro’s comments to lawmakers.
The SM-3 plays a crucial role in the Navy’s advanced Aegis Combat System. It utilizes a kinetic kill vehicle to effectively strike and eliminate short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles during the midcourse phase of their flight. What sets the SM-3 apart is its ability to conduct exo-atmospheric intercepts, enabling it to take down targets beyond the Earth’s atmosphere. This capability distinguishes it from other air-defense capabilities within the Navy’s arsenal.
According to the Missile Defense Project by the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, SM-3s hold a distinct position as the sole Standard Missile specifically crafted for functioning in the void of space.
The SM-3 has multiple variants that can be launched from a Navy warship’s vertical launching system. The Block I interceptors, which were initially deployed almost 20 years ago, have undergone numerous tests but had not been employed in combat until recently.
The photo is credited to Mass Communications Specialist 2nd Class Kerri Kline of the US Navy.
Over the weekend, not only was the SM-3 deployed, but other exo-atmospheric weapons were also brought into action.
Israel’s advanced Arrow 3 missile defense system, renowned for its capability to neutralize enemy threats in space, played a pivotal role in intercepting a significant number of the 120 ballistic missiles launched by Iran towards Israel on Saturday. Alongside its predecessor, Arrow 2, the Arrow 3 forms an integral part of Israel’s highly sophisticated air-defense network.
Israeli officials claim that Israel’s military and its partner forces in the Middle East successfully intercepted 99% of the threats launched by Iran and its proxies. These threats included various types of weapons such as one-way attack drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.
According to US Central Command, American forces successfully neutralized over 80 drones and destroyed at least six ballistic missiles.
According to a statement released on Sunday by CENTCOM, Iran’s behavior is seen as a constant threat to regional stability and the safety of U.S. and coalition forces. The statement describes Iran’s actions as unprecedented, malign, and reckless.
