HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The Missile Defense Agency is gearing up for two major test events this fall and winter, according to the agency's director, Vice Adm. James Syring.

"There are two tests that will garner a lot of public attention this fall," Syring said. "We will send a message around the world on what Aegis is doing and what Standard Missile is doing to defeat the threat."

In October, the first intercept test of the SM-3 Block IIA missile meant to defeat incoming ballistic missiles will happen, according to Syring.

The SM-3 IIA missile takes the standard missile from 13 inches to 21 inches and is being developed in a work-sharing partnership with Japan.

The intercept test is significant, Syring said, because it is a foundational requirement for the European Phased Adaptive Approach to ballistic missile defense in the long term and "very important" for where the Aegis ballistic missile defense fleet "needs to go given the threat evolution."

The EPAA, when complete, will consist of an AN/TPY-2 radar in Turkey, two Aegis Ashore systems in Romania and Poland, and a network of Aegis BMD ships.

The SM-3 IIA missile had a successful flight test last year without an intercept planned from Point Mugu Sea Range, San Nicolas Island, Calif.

In December, the Sea-based Terminal defense program -- part of the Aegis BMD fleet -- and the Standard Missile-6 missile will intercept a target "that looks a lot like the threat," Syring said.

The MDA director also highlighted some future tests coming down the road such as flying the Redesigned Kill Vehicle of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System's ground-based interceptors in a controlled flight test. MDA subsequently will conduct an intercept test, followed by a test against an intercontinental ballistic missile. In the 2021 timeframe, MDA will conduct a "two-against-two" test, according to Syring.

The agency also plans to test in the 2019-2020 time frame the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD), the Patriot air-and-missile defense system and Aegis BMD together with a SM-3 IIA missile.

"This operational test will be incredibly important towards that end because that is how [the warfighter] will fight," Syring said.

Congress "has been clear" it wants to test Patriot and THAAD together more, Syring noted, adding MDA is committed to doing just that at every opportunity.

Email: jjudson@defensenews.com

Twitter: @JenJudson

Jen Judson is an award-winning journalist covering land warfare for Defense News. She has also worked for Politico and Inside Defense. She holds a Master of Science degree in journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College.

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