The U.S. Navy conducted its first test of a short-range missile system designed to protect a Littoral Combat Ship against swarming threats.
The test marked the first launch of a missile from the Surface to Surface Missile Module (SSMM) from a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) as well as the first vertical missile launched from an LCS, as part of the developmental test program for the Surface Warfare (SUW) Mission Package (MP).
The testing aboard USS Detroit was an important milestone in advancing LCS capability, not only for the LCS community but for the entire fleet. As small boat threats proliferate, the SSMM will give our ships added lethality.
The SSMM is a critical piece of the SUW MP and this event will allow the Navy to move safely into developmental testing and soon to fielding this capability aboard LCS.