JS Kongo, which successfully intercepted a ballistic missile with its Aegis BMD Weapon System in a December test, was the first Japanese ship equipped with Aegis BMD. Installation of Aegis BMD aboard the second destroyer, JS Chokai, is under way in Nagasaki, Japan.

"In 2007, Aegis BMD delivered a host of 'firsts' in four increasingly complex operational scenarios, closing the year with JS Kongo's successful intercept - a first for Japan," said Orlando Carvalho, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Surface-Sea Based Missile Defense line of business. "Through all of those tests, our engineers were 100 percent focused on delivering engineering excellence, and those successes exemplify commitment to bring Aegis BMD to JS Myoko, as we have to JS Kongo and will to JS Chokai."

The Aegis Weapon System is the world's premier naval surface defense system and is the foundation for Aegis BMD, the primary component of the sea-based element of the United States ' Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS).

Aegis BMD has established a record of strong performance with 12 successful ballistic missile intercepts in 14 attempts.

The Aegis BMD Weapon System seamlessly integrates the SPY-1 radar, the MK 41 Vertical Launching System, the SM-3 missile and the Aegis Weapon System's command and control system. The Aegis BMD Weapon System also integrates with the Missile Defense Agency's BMDS, receiving cues from and providing cueing information to other BMDS elements.

The Aegis Weapon System is currently deployed on 85 ships around the globe with more than 20 additional ships planned or under contract. In addition to the United States and Japan, Aegis is the maritime weapon system of choice for Spain, Norway, South Korea and Australia.

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