The United States military conducted a live intercept of a ballistic missile target on Dec. 10, the first ballistic missile defense event executed from Guam.
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA), working with multiple Department of Defense partners, launched a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA from the Aegis Guam System at Andersen Air Force Base and successfully neutralized a medium-range ballistic missile target.
Rear Adm. Greg Huffman, commander of Joint Task Force-Micronesia, said the test flight was a “critical milestone in the defense of Guam and the region.”
“It confirmed our ability to detect, track, and engage a target missile in flight, increasing our readiness to defend against evolving adversary threats,” he said in a statement. “The event’s success is a testament to the incredible work of the team both within the DoD and the Government of Guam.”
The MDA said the test provides critical data to refine the Guam Defense System, an initiative intended to create a layered missile defense network.
Officials underscored its importance in validating joint capabilities and confirming the ability to track and engage emerging missile threats aimed at Guam or the broader Indo-Pacific region.
“This is a tremendous group effort and provides a glimpse of how organizations within the Department of Defense have come together to defend our homeland Guam now and in the future,” said Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins. “Collectively, we will use this to build upon and validate joint tracking architecture and integrated air and missile defense capabilities for Guam.”
Guam’s geographic position makes it a valuable location for aircraft and warships in the event they need to refit and refuel during a potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific region. The island hosts the only submarine base in the western Pacific and Andersen Air Force Base provides critical runway space for strategic bombers and fighters.
Guam’s value as a U.S. territory to the United States and its allies could also make it an attractive target for adversaries to attack in a future conflict in the region.
The plan for the test was approved in late October. Further tests will be held up to twice per year for a period of 10 years, according to the MDA.
Moylan said at the time that he was “very concerned” about Guam’s defensive posture in the face of advanced new weapons being developed by the Chinese communist regime’s military, noting that Guam sits about 1,900 miles from the Chinese mainland.
