In a major boost for Guam’s missile defense posture, the Aegis Guam System successfully intercepted a ballistic missile target off the coast of Andersen Air Force Base. This event, officially designated as Flight Experiment Mission-02 (FEM-02), marks the first time a ballistic missile defense operation has been executed from Guam, and involved collaboration between the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and several other U.S. Department of Defense partners.
Photo: MDA
The Aegis Guam System, equipped with the AN/TPY-6 radar and Vertical Launching System, launched a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA that successfully engaged an air-launched Medium Range Ballistic Missile target. The AN/TPY-6 radar was instrumental in this success, tracking the target from launch through to intercept. This marked the first time the radar had been used for end-to-end tracking in a live-fire ballistic missile test.
FEM-02 represents a critical advancement in the development of Guam’s defense capabilities, particularly for the future Guam Defense System (GDS). Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, director of the MDA, praised the collaborative effort behind this milestone, stating that “This is a tremendous group effort and provides a glimpse of how organisations within the Department of Defense have come together to defend our homeland Guam now and in the future.” He further emphasised its importance in validating joint tracking architecture and integrated air and missile defense capabilities for Guam.
Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, commander of Joint Task Force-Micronesia, echoed Collins’ sentiment, underscoring the significance of the flight test. “Today’s flight test is a critical milestone in the defense of Guam and the region,” he said. “It confirmed our ability to detect, track, and engage a target missile in flight, increasing our readiness to defend against evolving adversary threats.”
Running concurrently with FEM-02, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command conducted Exercise Sling Stone, a capabilities exercise designed to enhance warfighter readiness and rehearse homeland defense operations. Sling Stone leveraged FEM-02 as a tactical training event, aiming to refine skills, foster interoperability, and improve communication and understanding between participating forces.
The exercise brought together assets and personnel from the Air Force, Army, Navy, and allied forces, utilising FEM-02 for multi-domain operations training. Sling Stone was executed in two phases: the first phase involved a simulated multi-domain environment across land, air, and sea domains, using live, virtual, and constructive training elements. The second phase used the MDA’s FEM-02 missile intercept to exercise the joint force’s ability to detect, track, and simulate engagement of the threat.
Whilst the FEM-02 event was taking place, the Navy’s Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69), operating off the coast of Guam, detected, tracked, and simulated engagement of the missile, demonstrating air defense coverage from the sea. Task Force Talon, the Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense unit based on Guam, also received missile tracking information. This unit provides ballistic missile defense coverage for the entire island.
Adding an international dimension to the exercise, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Maya-class guided-missile destroyer JS Haguro (DDG 180) participated in air defense support, underscoring the commitment to interoperability between international forces.
Rear Adm. Huffman lauded the success of Sling Stone, stating, “The success of Sling Stone is a testament to the incredible work our joint-service team does every day to maintain a strong defensive posture in the Indo-Pacific region.” He added, “Leveraging MDA’s missile intercept test to train how we fight just made sense. We will take lessons learned and continue to strengthen the architecture of Guam’s defense against evolving adversary missile threats.”
Joint Task Force-Micronesia and Joint Region Marianas worked closely with the Government of Guam throughout the operation to ensure that military exercises were fully coordinated with civil authorities. Sling Stone offered a valuable opportunity for the military and Guam Homeland Security/Office of Civil Defense to practice notification procedures and enhance their crisis-response readiness, ensuring a coordinated approach to safeguarding the community.
FEM-02 provides crucial data and validation for the development, installation, and operation of the GDS. This system is envisioned as a layered defence network incorporating elements from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and MDA, working together to deliver Enhanced Integrated Air and Missile Defense for Guam. These defense entities will develop and deploy a persistent layered missile defense system for Guam.
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