Royal Navy warship destroys missile off the coast of Scotland
It is the first time the Royal Navy has faced down this kind of target, which is more challenging as it flies faster and carries out corkscrew and weave manoeuvres.
'The successful Sea Viper firing as part of Formidable Shield 25 is a huge moment for HMS Dragon,' Commander Iain Giffin, HMS Dragon's Commanding Officer, said.
'Not only does it prove that Dragon's world leading air defence capability functions as it should following an extensive maintenance period, but it also proves our ability to integrate and operate alongside NATO allies and partners.
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'Training alongside ships, aircraft and land forces from 11 nations in this complex, multi-domain exercise ensures that we maintain our fighting edge against evolving Hi and Low-tech threats.'
Just two and a half seconds after erupting from HMS Dragon's silo, the missile accelerated to more than four times the speed of sound.
It then manoeuvred at G-forces which no human being could withstand, to close in and destroy the target.
Sea Viper is the combination of the Sampson radar system and the Aster missile system which sits in a silo on the ship's forecastle.
The system tracks aircraft and other objects across thousands of cubic miles of airspace over the Hebrides and identifies threats, destroying them when necessary.
'Seeing how far Dragon has progressed, both within the Warfare Department as well as the wider ship, is impressive,' Lieutenant Commander Sarah Kaese, Dragon's Senior Warfare Officer – who is on exchange from the Royal Australian Navy.
'Formidable Shield has been both a significant challenge and opportunity for Dragon to come together as a warfighting unit and integrate into a task group developing air defence capability.'
The first phase of the exercise – which involves nearly 7,000 personnel – took place at the Andøya firing range in Norway, before moving on to the Hebrides range.
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