Nichols Martin
Kratos Defense and Security Solutions contributed ballistic and airborne targets in support of a multi-national exercise through which the U.S. Navy, NATO and allied forces demonstrated integrated air and missile defense.
Formidable Shield 2021 took place from May 15 to June 2 at the Scotland-based Hebrides Range of the U.K.’s defense ministry and leveraged Kratos-built MQM-178 Firejet aerial target drones, the company said Thursday.
USS Paul Ignatius, a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, struck Kratos’ two advanced ballistic missile targets with Standard Missile-3 interceptors on the May 26 and 30 exercises. The two engagements topped the highest launch within the U.K. record held by the company and the Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division’s White Sands Detachment.
The biennial event hosted 16 ships and multiple aircraft from 10 countries demonstrated interoperable IAMD. Collected exercise data will be considered while refining aerial target design and capabilities for future demonstrations.
The U.S., the U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Italy and the Netherlands participated in Formidable Shield 2021.
