On Tuesday, October 24th, additional details surrounding the Houthi missile attack of October 19th wherein the USS Carney intercepted multiple ballistic missiles and drones. It has since been reported that Saudi Arabia intercepted one of the cruise missiles fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels towards Israel, with the US having intercepted the other four. The US stated that the missiles were likely targeting Israel. While the US does not have explicit information that Iran ordered these attacks, it believes Iran bears responsibility due to the evident Iranian influence on these proxy groups, according to a senior Defense Department official. Saudi Arabia's Patriot Missile Defense system, used in the interception, is supplied by the US.
On Wednesday, October 25th, the Missile Defense Agency announced that the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS CARL M. LEVIN successfully conducted an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) test, named Vigilant Wyvern, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems and the MDA. This test, conducted at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii, showcased the ability of a ballistic missile defense-configured Aegis ship to detect, track, engage, and intercept two short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) targets. Simultaneously, it demonstrated an Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) engagement of two subsonic anti-ship cruise missile drone targets. The test, designated Flight Test Aegis Weapon System-48 (FTM-48) by the MDA, involved the engagement of two SRBM targets using two Standard Missile 3 Block IA (SM-3 Blk IA) interceptors and the engagement of two subsonic anti-ship cruise missile drone targets using four SM-2 Blk IIIA interceptors. This successful test marked a significant milestone and demonstrated the capability of Aegis ships to defend against an IAMD raid scenario.
On Friday, October 27th, The Defense Post reported that Raytheon recently conducted a successful interoperability test with the US Army's Low, slow, small-unmanned aircraft Integrated Defense System (LIDS) during the Army's annual tactical demonstration. The test focused on evaluating Raytheon's Ku-band radio Frequency radar and the Coyote family of effectors in countering drone threats. This system offers both fixed and mobile configurations, making it adaptable for protecting stationary bases, sites, and temporary contingency locations. During the test, the radar effectively tracked a complex drone swarm of 30 systems, while the Coyote projectiles intercepted targets in both single-drone and swarm scenarios. This demonstrated their efficiency in reducing engagement timelines, and the test confirmed recent hardware and software enhancements to both the KuRFS and Coyote systems. The successful test underscored the effectiveness of these technologies, meeting all necessary requirements to neutralize high-speed targets. This achievement builds upon previous tests conducted in 2021 and 2022, further reinforcing the reliability and performance of counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capabilities.
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