U.S. Navy Tests Cargo Container Launcher for SM-3 Missile

The United States has launched the RIM-161 Standard Missile 3 (SM-3) anti-aircraft missile from a cargo container launcher for the first time.

This was reported by Naval News.

The RIM-161B SM-3 Block IA missile was launched from the Mark 70 Mod 1 launcher as part of the Pacific Dragon 2024 naval exercises.

The missile successfully hit the ballistic target, which was the latest IAMD-T simulator target.

The ships that participated in the exercise were USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120), USS Kidd (DDG 100), USS Shiloh (CG 67), HMAS Sydney (DDG 42), ITS Montecuccoli (P432), JS Haguro (DDG 180), ROKS Yulgok Yi I (DDG 992) and HNLMS Tromp (F803).

In addition, E-7A Wedgetail aircraft from the Royal Australian Air Force, P-8A from the US Navy and MQ-9 from the California Air National Guard took part in the exercise.

Mark 70

The Mark 70 is a containerized version of the Mark 41 vertical launch system that holds four missile cells in a single launcher in a container format.

Such containers can be transported by truck, train, or ship and deployed on decks and on land.

The development of the Mark 70 can be traced back to 2019, when the first ground fire tests of the RIM-174 SM-6 were conducted, but the system was publicly presented in 2021 during live firing aboard the USV Ranger.

The system was demonstrated again in 2022 when the battery was deployed in Europe, this time with the Mark 70 launching system mounted on truck semi-trailers.

In 2023, it was tested aboard LCS 28, an Independence-class littoral combat ship.

Militarnyi reported that the U.S. Navy, together with the Danish Army Home Guard, conducted a training deployment of the Mk.70 PDS missile strike system on the Bornholm island.

The exercise was a demonstration of the U.S. Navy’s capabilities, as the Mk.70 launching system is capable of launching Tomahawk cruise missiles.