A Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) leaves the ships vertical launch system (VLS) during a combined Missile Defense Agency and U.S. Navy flight test, conducted in the continuing development of a Sea-Based Midcourse (SMD) Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). Test involved the launch of a developmental Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) equipped with a kinetic warhead (KW) interceptor controlled from the Aegis Cruiser, and an Aries target missile launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. The SM-3 acquired, tracked, and diverted toward the target, successfully demonstrating the SM-3 fourth-stage Kinetic Warhead (KW) guidance, navigation and control. U.S. Navy Photo