The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), in partnership with the U.S. Navy, has successfully completed a crucial test aimed at countering hypersonic missile threats, marking a new phase in America’s evolving missile defense capabilities.
The test, known as Flight Test Other-40 (FTX-40) or “Stellar Banshee,” was conducted on March 24 off the coast of the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. During the exercise, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) tracked and simulated an engagement against an advanced maneuvering hypersonic target using the Sea-Based Terminal (SBT) Increment 3 capability integrated within the latest Aegis Combat System software.
According to the Missile Defense Agency, the scenario involved a simulated launch of an upgraded Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) targeting a Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM) equipped with a Hypersonic Target Vehicle (HTV-1). The HTV-1 is designed to mimic the behavior of next-generation hypersonic weapons and allows for operationally realistic testing.
“Test demonstrated key achievements as we continue to partner with the Navy in advancing our nation’s counter-hypersonic capabilities,” said Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, MDA Director. “Our ability to defeat maneuvering hypersonic missiles is critical if we are to defend our homeland and our forces against an increasingly dangerous threat.”
The exercise also supported data collection for the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) demonstration satellite, part of a layered missile warning and tracking architecture that combines space-based sensors with sea-based defense systems. The integration of real-time satellite tracking with naval fire control systems was a focal point of the operation.
FTX-40 is considered a key risk-reduction effort ahead of a future live-fire event—Flight Test Aegis Weapon System-43 (FTM-43)—in which an SM-6 will be launched against a live hypersonic target. The test also follows the successful FTM-32 mission, which demonstrated interception of a ballistic target in the terminal phase.
The MDA says data collected during FTX-40 will help refine tactics and technology needed to counter hypersonic threats, which are increasingly being fielded by adversaries such as China and Russia.