Royal Navy's Sea Viper downs target

LONDON, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The Sea Viper missile defense system has tested successfully during British Royal Navy operational sea trials in the Mediterranean.

According to "desider -- the magazine for Defense Equipment and Support," the system achieved a direct hit in a salvo firing against a maneuverable, sea-skimming target travelling at hundreds of miles an hour.

The Sea Viper, formerly called the PAAMS, is designed for use by the Royal Navy's new fleet of Type 45 destroyers and is being developed by MBDA, a European company owned by BAE Systems, EADS and Finmeccanica.

Richard Smart, Head of the Defense Ministry's Complex Weapons at Defense Equipment and Support, said after the sea trial "we have overcome a number of significant hurdles and everyone involved is rightly proud of reaching this milestone."

"While there is more work to do, we are well on our way towards the first firing later this year from a Type 45 platform, (the vessel HMS) Dauntless, in support of demonstrating Sea Viper's world class capability on board the Type 45 destroyers."

The publication said key to Sea Viper's capability is the phased-array Sampson radar, which has a range of about 250 miles.

Its onboard position about 98 feet above the water widens its horizon at sea level to enable the system to react to high-speed, low-level, anti-ship missiles.