Updated at 1:28 p.m., Thursday, May 3, 2007
USS Lake Erie to deploy tomorrow for Western Pacific
Advertiser Staff
Following USS Lake Erie's (CG 70) ballistic missile defense exercise conducted last week in the Hawaiian Operating Area, 330 near Kaua'i, sailors will depart tomorrow morning for a Western Pacific deployment on board the Pearl Harbor-based guided missile cruiser.USS Lake Erie engaged targets using the Aegis BMD's shipboard weapon system; the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IA, against the ballistic missile target; and the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIIA, against the surrogate hostile air target, according ot a Navy Region Hawai'i news release.
The test demonstrated USS Lake Erie's ability to engage a ballistic missile threat and defend itself from attack at the same time.
This latest Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense "hit to kill" intercept flight test involved the simultaneous engagements of a ballistic missile "unitary" target (meaning that the target warhead and booster remain attached) and a surrogate hostile air target. This marked the eighth successful intercept in 10 flight tests for the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program.
For more information on USS Lake Erie, visit www.lake-erie.navy.mil
