One of the UK’s most advanced warships destroyed a supersonic missile in a first for the Royal Navy in a test off the coast of Scotland.
Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon launched a specially-modified Sea Viper missile at an incoming high-speed target to emulate the kind of advanced threats seen around the globe today.
"It marks the first time the Royal Navy has faced down this kind of target – one that is significantly more challenging as it flies faster and carries out corkscrew and weave manoeuvres," said the navy.
The Sea Viper launched was a custom telemetry version, designed to record measurements and data to inform future operations.
"The missile firing took place as part of the largest live-firing exercise in Europe this year – known as Exercise Formidable Shield 25 – which is proving the Portsmouth-based ship’s ability to defend herself and other ships around her from attack, including from swarms of drones," added the navy.
The first phase of the exercise, which involves nearly 7,000 personnel, took place at the Andøya firing range in Norway, before moving on to the Hebrides range. Formidable Shield ends on May 31.
Ships, aircraft and land forces from 11 nations trained together in the multi-domain exercise to ensure that they maintain their fighting edge against evolving high- and low-tech threats.
During the exercise HMS Dragon was working with other NATO ships conducting missile firings.
Sea Viper is the combination of the Sampson radar system and the Aster missile system which sits in a silo on the ship’s forecastle.
The system tracks aircraft and other objects across thousands of cubic miles of airspace over the Hebrides range in western Scotland, identifies threats, and destroys them when necessary.