Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) is the naval, multi-mission component of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). Aegis BMD provides regional as well as homeland defense. Aegis BMD can intercept short- to intermediate-range, separating and non-separating ballistic missile threats above the atmosphere and shorter-range ballistic missiles within the atmosphere. Another mission for Aegis BMD is as a forward-deployed sensor to search, detect and track ballistic missiles of all ranges and transmit tracking data to the BMDS.

The Aegis BMD engagement capability defeats short- to intermediate-range, unitary and separating, midcourse-phase ballistic missile threats with the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3), as well as short-range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase with the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IV. For more information, visit our Elements page.

Yes, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) is an operational system. The Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force, the Navy’s test agent, formally certified Aegis BMD as operationally effective and suitable in 2008. Aegis BMD ships have deployed under combatant command operational control.

As of December 2014, there are 33 Aegis BMD combatants (5 cruisers [CGs] and 28 destroyers [DDGs] in the U.S. Navy. Of the 33 ships, 16 are assigned to the Pacific Fleet and 17 to the Atlantic Fleet.

Foreign Military Sales rules require the allied international customers to pay the full cost of the items procured. An increase in procurement quantities would ultimately lower unit production costs and benefit the U.S. government.

Check out the information on Aegis BMD and the images and video in our Aegis Media Gallery.

All of the elements of the BMDS are described in our System section.
If you still have questions, check out the FAQs for:

• Command and Control, Battle Management, and Communications (C2BMC),
• Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD),
• PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3),
• Sensors, and
• Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).