The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has successfully simulated an intercept of a mock advanced hypersonic missile using a Standard Missile-6 (SM-6), marking a crucial step toward a live test. While no SM-6 was fired, the exercise involved a live target and featured key assets, including a Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) satellite and an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer equipped with the latest Aegis combat system.
In collaboration with the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin, MDA conducted the simulated SM-6 hypersonic missile defense test, designated Flight Test Other-40 (FTX-40) or “Stellar Banshee,” on March 25. The live elements of the test occurred in and over the Pacific Ocean, near the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii.
According to an MDA press release, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) demonstrated its ability to detect, track, and engage an advanced maneuvering hypersonic target using the Sea-Based Terminal (SBT) Increment 3 capability embedded in the latest Aegis software. The exercise included firing a simulated SM-6 missile at a target—a Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) with a Hypersonic Target Vehicle (HTV)-1 front end—designed to replicate real-world hypersonic threats.
USS Pinckney is the first Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to receive the new Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block III installation. SEWIP Block III enhances electronic warfare capabilities, although MDA did not explicitly confirm its role in FTX-40. Video and images from MDA depict the test target before the HTV-1’s release, launched mid-air from a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane.
The HTV-1/MRBM combination mimics an unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicle, which is propelled to high speeds and altitudes by a booster before detaching and maneuvering at hypersonic speeds along a shallow atmospheric trajectory. This creates significant detection and tracking challenges for missile defense systems.
FTX-40 also provided a data collection opportunity for the HBTSS demonstration satellite. The first two prototype HBTSS satellites, built by L3Harris and Northrop Grumman, were launched in February 2024. MDA did not specify which company’s satellite gathered data during the test.
A separate press release from Lockheed Martin identified the simulated SM-6 missile as representing the forthcoming Block IAU variant, an upgrade that addresses obsolescence issues in its guidance system. The Pentagon’s Office of the Director of Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) confirmed that SM-2 Block IIIC missiles, which share the same guidance system as SM-6 Block IA, are undergoing similar upgrades.
MDA emphasized that FTX-40 was a risk reduction flight for the newly developed test target and provided critical data on Aegis’ capability against hypersonic threats. The next step will be Flight Test Aegis Weapon System-43 (FTM-43), a planned live intercept test using the upgraded SM-6.
FTX-40 builds upon FTM-32, a previous SBT Increment 3 test in 2023, which successfully demonstrated an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer intercepting an MRBM target in its terminal phase using an SM-6. The SM-6 family has also been deployed in combat against ballistic missile threats, notably in the Red Sea against Iranian-backed Houthi militants.
The MDA and Navy have pursued an SM-6-based hypersonic missile defense capability since at least 2021. Former MDA head Vice Adm. Jon Hill stated in 2022 that SM-6 was the nation’s “only hypersonic defense capability,” albeit limited to intercepting threats in their terminal phase.
Northrop Grumman is developing the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) for MDA, which aims to engage hypersonic threats earlier in flight. In contrast, SM-6’s engagement capability remains constrained to specific geographic areas and shorter engagement windows. Nonetheless, it provides a valuable defense layer for surface ships and nearby land assets against hypersonic threats.
Hypersonic weapons continue to proliferate, particularly among adversaries like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Russia recently unveiled a medium-to-intermediate-range ballistic missile called Oreshnik, which reportedly incorporates “hypersonic technology.” Such developments heighten the urgency for the U.S. to advance its hypersonic missile defense systems.
The MDA’s hypersonic defense efforts align with the Golden Dome missile defense initiative, spearheaded under President Donald Trump’s administration. The initiative prioritizes countering advanced threats, including hypersonic and maneuvering missiles.
“Our ability to defeat maneuvering, hypersonic missiles is critical to defending our homeland and forces,” said Air Force Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, MDA Director. “The Aegis Weapon System will play a vital role in the next-generation integrated air and missile defense system.”
With FTX-40 successfully completed, MDA and its partners are now preparing for a live intercept test to further evaluate the SM-6’s capabilities against hypersonic threats. This represents a significant step toward enhancing the U.S. military’s ability to counter emerging missile threats in an increasingly complex global security environment.
