Australian Destroyer Begins Testing Lockheed Martin’s Aegis Weapon Systems

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has begun testing Lockheed Martin’s Aegis battle management system in preparation for deployment, Lockheed Martin announced in a press release. The Australian destroyer is equipped with vertical rocket launchers, which when directed by Aegis will be "capable of delivering missiles for every mission and threat environment in naval warfare". “This milestone is a significant step towards an increase in the Royal Australian Navy’s [RAN] maritime security capabilities through the seamless integration of the Aegis combat system to defend against advanced air, surface and subsurface threats," RAN Program Manager Commodore Craig Bourke said. The Aegis as an automated weapons control system that launches and directs rockets to destroy enemy targets, according to the Navy. It is a central component of US missile defenses. Apart from the United States, the Aegis is deployed on ships by the navies of Japan, South Korea, Norway and Spain.