This can be achieved five years ahead of an Aegis BMD capability with a level of performance no DDG 51 can match now or in the future.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Countering Beijing's new weapon

Three features make this test particularly significant: For the first time, the hardware and software utilized was the operational configuration (known as AEGIS BMD 3.0) that will be installed in all other AEGIS missile defense ships.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Go Navy missile defense!

The Navy, driven to meet a near-term requirement contained in a dramatically changing national ballistic missile defense (BMD) strategy, has, without any supporting analysis, chosen to back-fit and concurrently build more of the 30-year-old-design Aegis Arleigh Burke class DDG51 destroyers with only the most basic BMD capability.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Countering Beijing's new weapon