Exclusive: US Navy Validates AEGIS Combat System on Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer During Live Ballistic Missile Intercept Test.

In a unique demonstration of advanced missile defense capabilities, the U.S. Navy executed a groundbreaking test in which a two-stage ballistic missile was dropped from a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft using parachutes before being launched directly into the air. This innovative approach, part of Flight Test Other-40 (FTX-40), codenamed Stellar Banshee, was designed to evaluate the Aegis Combat System aboard the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) against a live medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) threat simulating hypersonic characteristics.
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The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) underway during a live-fire test of the AEGIS Combat System. In the vignette, a simulated ballistic missile is seen being dropped from a C-17 aircraft, representing the test's hypersonic target scenario. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

The test scenario offered an unprecedented degree of realism. The missile, after being stabilized mid-air by parachutes, ignited vertically to replicate the flight profile of an operational MRBM. The USS Pinckney Arleigh Burke-class destroyer successfully tracked the threat using its onboard Aegis system and executed a simulated engagement using a virtualized SM-6 Block IAU interceptor. Although no physical interceptor was launched, the test validated the ship’s ability to detect, process, and prepare for high-speed missile threats under realistic conditions.

At the heart of the test was the Aegis Combat System, developed by Lockheed Martin. This advanced naval weapons suite integrates high-powered radar, multi-domain sensors, and fire control technologies. On Arleigh Burke-class destroyers like the Pinckney, the system enables the ship to serve as a mobile, multi-role defensive platform capable of defending against aircraft, surface threats, submarines, and most crucially, ballistic missiles. The Aegis system’s AN/SPY-1D radar, or the newer AN/SPY-6 variant, allows for continuous detection, tracking, and discrimination of high-speed airborne threats, feeding targeting data into the ship’s command and control system for immediate engagement.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are a central element in the Navy’s maritime strategy. Designed for forward deployment, they carry out critical missions across the spectrum of naval warfare—from strike and escort operations to integrated missile defense for carrier strike groups and key infrastructure. These ships have been deployed to strategic regions such as the South China Sea, the Korean Peninsula, and Eastern Europe, providing both a deterrent presence and a shield against evolving long-range missile threats.

What made Stellar Banshee unique was the test’s novel missile launch profile. A two-stage MRBM test article was dropped from a high-altitude C-17 aircraft and descended under parachute to a controlled altitude before firing its booster engines mid-air. This method not only ensures test range safety but also simulates the altitude and angle at which real ballistic missiles might be deployed, offering a more accurate challenge for intercept systems. This flexibility is crucial in preparing for complex threat trajectories, particularly those posed by emerging hypersonic and maneuverable missile systems.

The test comes at a critical time, as both China and Russia accelerate development of advanced missile platforms designed to bypass traditional missile defense systems. China’s DF-17 medium-range missile, equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle, is capable of rapid altitude shifts and unpredictable flight paths, posing significant challenges for radar tracking and interception. Additionally, the JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile, expected to become fully operational by 2025, provides the PLA Navy with a longer-range, more survivable second-strike capability that could target the U.S. mainland from Chinese waters.

Russia continues to pursue next-generation strategic systems like the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, capable of exceeding Mach 20 while maneuvering in flight, and the Burevestnik, a nuclear-powered cruise missile with potentially unlimited range and evasion capabilities. Moscow’s RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, designed to carry multiple warheads and glide vehicles, represents another strategic threat designed to overwhelm U.S. missile defenses.

In response to these developments, the successful execution of FTX-40 not only validates the current generation of Aegis-based defenses but also informs the next phase of missile defense testing. The data collected from Stellar Banshee will directly support future live-fire missions, including the anticipated Flight Test Aegis Weapon System-43 (FTM-43), which will involve a live SM-6 intercept against a maneuvering MRBM.

The Navy’s continued investment in realistic, complex missile defense testing underscores its commitment to maintaining technological superiority in an era of rapidly advancing threats. As adversaries refine their missile arsenals with speed, stealth, and maneuverability in mind, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers—equipped with the ever-evolving Aegis Combat System—remain the frontline defense for protecting U.S. forces, allies, and strategic assets around the world.