New Aegis test shows US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer could face a new generation of hypersonic missile threats.

On March 25, 2025, Lockheed Martin announced that the USS Pinckney (DDG-91), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, participated in Flight Test Other-40 (FTX-40), codenamed Stellar Banshee, and successfully simulated the engagement with a hypersonic ballistic missile target. The test, conducted at the Pacific Missile Range Facility, demonstrated the Aegis Combat System’s ability to detect, track, and engage such threats in a virtual configuration. It marked a key step in a broader program that evaluated the Aegis Combat System’s performance against modern medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) threats.
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The USS Pinckney (DDG-91), the first Arleigh Burke-class destroyer equipped with the AN/SPY-1D(V) Littoral Warfare Radar, recently completed a two-year modernization period before participating in this simulated hypersonic missile defense test. (Picture source: US DoD)

The event was conducted off the coast of Kauai, Hawaii, during Flight Test Other-40 (FTX-40) on March 24, 2025. A Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) equipped with a Hypersonic Target Vehicle (HTV-1) front end was air-launched from a C-17 aircraft near the Pacific Missile Range Facility. Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Combat System then performed a simulated engagement against this live, advanced hypersonic target. The scenario used a virtualized Standard Missile-6 Block IAU and the latest Aegis Baseline 9 software. It introduced a new target profile and marked the third test associated with Capability Package 24 and Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) version 5.1.5, which includes Sea-Based Terminal Increment 3. FTX-40 was jointly supported by the U.S. Navy, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Lockheed Martin, and other industry partners.

FTX-40 followed earlier test events, including Flight Test Other-23 (FTX-23), or Stellar Sisyphus, which occurred on February 8, 2024, at the same range. That test assessed sensor-tracking and communication-link capabilities through a two-part developmental sequence. The first phase demonstrated Aegis’ ability to track and discriminate an MRBM target with countermeasures. The second phase involved a live intercept using a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA (SM-3 Blk IIA), which successfully struck the target. The test involved data collection from multiple viewing angles and sensor platforms. Assets participating in FTX-23 included USS McCampbell (DDG-85), USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG-125), the Aegis Ashore Missile Defense Test Complex, and the Advanced Radar Development Evaluation Laboratory. While not originally required to conduct an intercept, the system demonstrated a reserve intercept capability during the engagement.

The Aegis Combat System is a U.S. naval weapon system that integrates command and control components, sensors, and weapons and is currently produced by Lockheed Martin. It includes the AN/SPY-1 passive electronically scanned array radar, the MK 99 Fire Control System, the Weapon Control System, the Command and Decision Suite, and supports multiple interceptors in the Standard Missile series, including the SM-2, SM-3, and SM-6. The system supports simultaneous engagement tracking and uses the AN/SPG-62 fire control radar for terminal guidance. It operates from both sea and land platforms and is compatible with the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS), installed on various ship classes and Aegis Ashore sites.

The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) program is the sea-based component of the U.S. missile defense architecture and supports operations during both mid-course and terminal phases. Upgrades such as the Multi-Mission Signal Processor (MMSP) enable combined Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) and BMD functionality. Aegis Baseline 9 and 10 software allow enhanced integration of sensors and weapons. The newer AN/SPY-6 radar, used in Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers like USS Jack H. Lucas, increases target detection and tracking capacity. As of early 2025, the system is in service with the U.S. Navy and six allied navies, including Japan, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Spain, and Norway. In total, 114 Aegis-equipped ships are active, and 72 additional vessels are planned.

Japan currently operates eight Aegis destroyers, including Kongō, Atago, and Maya-class vessels. On November 16 and 18, 2022, JMSDF destroyers Maya and Haguro launched SM-3 Block IIA and IB missiles respectively in successful intercept tests conducted from Hawaii. Two additional Aegis-equipped ships, each displacing approximately 20,000 tons, are planned for commissioning by the end of FY2028 to perform dedicated ballistic missile defense roles. These ships will be assigned to the Sea of Japan, while existing Aegis destroyers will support other missions and maintain sea lines of communication in the East China Sea. On December 19, 2023, the United States, Japan, and South Korea activated a real-time North Korea missile warning system and initiated a multi-year trilateral exercise plan in response to missile launches conducted earlier in 2023.

USS Pinckney is a Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, commissioned on May 29, 2004. The ship was built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It displaces 9,200 long tons, measures 155.3 meters in length with a beam of 20 meters, and is powered by four General Electric LM2500-30 gas turbines delivering 100,000 shaft horsepower. The ship is equipped with a 96-cell Mk 41 Vertical Launch System for surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missiles, a 127 mm Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun, Phalanx CIWS, Mk 38 machine gun systems, and torpedo launchers. It carries two MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and operates the SEWIP Block 3 electronic warfare suite. It was the first Arleigh Burke-class ship equipped with the AN/SPY-1D(V) Littoral Warfare Radar.

Pinckney has completed multiple operational deployments since commissioning, including a 2005–2006 maiden deployment to the Western Pacific. In March 2014, it supported the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in the South China Sea. On November 7, 2023, it was observed departing San Diego for sea trials following a two-year maintenance period at the General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard, during which the SEWIP Block 3 system was installed. As of January 2025, the ship remains active and assigned to Destroyer Squadron 23. Its recent participation in FTX-40 reflects its continued role in testing configurations and software associated with ballistic and hypersonic missile defense.