Three US Second Fleet ships successfully completed a tracking exercise on January 22 off the coast of Virginia using the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system during Atlantic Trident 2011.
USS 'Monterey' (CG 61), USS 'Ramage' (DDG 61) and USS 'Gonzalez' (DDG 66) all successfully tracked the short-range ballistic missile target that was launched from NASA Wallops Island Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia. The target missile fell harmlessly into the Atlantic Ocean.
'Monterey', an Aegis cruiser, and 'Ramage', an Aegis destroyer, took turns tracking and simulating engagement of the target while 'Gonzalez', a guided-missile destroyer, participated by tracking the target.
All three ships were able to successfully track the target, with 'Monterey' and 'Ramage' providing simulated target solutions that would have resulted in a successful intercept. No missiles were fired from the ships as it was a tracking exercise.
