it had never been used

During the Iranian attack on Israel, US Navy warships used a missile interceptor in combat for the first time…

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During the Iranian attack on Israel, US Navy warships used an SM-3 missile interceptor in combat for the first time. USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and USS Carney (DDG-64), stationed in the eastern Mediterranean, launched four to seven Standard Missile 3s to intercept Iranian ballistic missiles headed for Israeli targets. Two defense officials confirmed this to USNI News.

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The destroyers Carney and Arleigh Burke

Carney and Arleigh Burke have versions of the Aegis combat system that have been modified to track and target ballistic missiles. Both destroyers were positioned off the coast of Israel as part of defensive measures against Iranian attack. It is unclear which missiles the Iranians fired at Israel, but, according to missile analyst Chris Carlson, the fact that the Navy used SM-3s indicates the likelihood that the Iranians used some of its medium-range ballistic missiles with a range of up to 1,800 miles.

What are SM-3s

The SM-3 is an element of the Navy’s advanced Aegis combat system and uses a kinetic kill vehicle to target and destroy short- and medium-range ballistic missiles during the intermediate flight phase. The SM-3 has exo-atmospheric intercept capability, meaning it can eliminate targets beyond Earth’s atmosphere, unlike the Navy’s other air defense capabilities. These are difficult missions due to the high mid-course speed and the need to target the reentry vehicle and not the separate booster. “The SM-3s are unique because they are the only off-the-shelf missiles designed to operate in the vacuum of space,” notes the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank in its Missile Defense Project. There are multiple SM-3 variants, which can be launched from the vertical launch system of a Navy warship. Despite dozens of tests over the past two decades, the SM-3 had never been used in combat until now.

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