Standard Missile-3 Block IB

choi

(1) News release: Second-Generation Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System Completes Successful Intercept Flight Test. Missile Defense Agency, US Department of Defense, May 9, 2012 (No 12-NEWS-0007)
http://www.mda.mil/news/12news0007.html

Quote:

"At 8:18 pm Hawaiian Standard Time (2:18 a.m. EDT May 10) the target missile was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, located on Kauai, Hawaii. * * * Following target launch, the USS LAKE ERIE detected and tracked the missile with its onboard AN/SPY-1 radar.

"Today’s event * * * was the first successful live fire intercept test of the SM-3 Block IB interceptor and the second-generation Aegis BMD 4.0.1 weapon system. Previous successful intercepts were conducted with the Aegis BMD 3.6.1 weapon system and the SM-3 Block IA interceptor, which are currently operational on U.S. Navy ships deployed across the globe.

(2) Press release: Raytheon’s Standard Missile-3 flight test a success. Raytheon, May 10, 2012
http://www.raytheon.com/newsroom/technology/rtn12_sm3_ftm16/
("SM-3 Block IB will be deployed in both sea-based and land-based modes as part of phase two of the Phased Adaptive Approach")

My comment:
(a) It says the difference between Standard Missile-3 IB and SM-3 IA is the former introduces advanced sensors (a new, two-color infrared seeker) and a new, highly accurate steering mechanism ("an advanced signal processor and a new Throttleable Divert and Attitude Control System").
(b) There is no need to read the rest of (2) or (3).

(3) Jim Wolf, US Hits Test Missile With Raytheon Interceptor. Reuters, May 10, 2012
http://au.news.yahoo.com/tech-ne ... ytheon-interceptor/
("An earlier test of the U.S. Navy's newest interceptor, called SM-3 Block 1B, had failed to intercept its target in September")

choi

Aegis BMD Stellar Vengeance (FTM-16 Event 2A) Flight Test Mission Success Quicklook. YouTube.com, published on May 10, 2012 by AegisBMD (6:40 in length).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTrYUK2K72M

My comment: There was one target , one interceptor and one interception. But each of the three is shown in "multiple views"--several views and speeds.