16-05-2025
Watch incredible moment a Royal Navy warship destroys a supersonic missile off Scots coast
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THIS is the incredible moment a Royal Navy warship obliterated a supersonic missile off the coast of Scotland.
It is the first time ever that one of the UK's most advanced warships successfully destroyed a supersonic missile.
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Sea viper Live firing against a supersonic sea-skimming target
Credit: Royal Navy
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This is the first time in Royal Navy history that this has been achieved
Credit: Royal Navy
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HMS Dragon at Sea off the West Coast of Scotland
Credit: Royal Navy
The Royal Navy was carrying out a test around the Hebrides in the west of Scotland when the missile firing took place.
The test is part of a massive exercise known as Exercise Formidable Shield 25, which is the largest one in Europe this year.
Exercise Formidable Shield 25 involves almost 7,000 personnel and is designed to test Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon's ability to defend herself and other ships around her from attack, including from swarms of drones.
And yesterday, the Portsmouth-based ship launched a specially-modified Sea Viper missile at an incoming high-speed target in a burst of fire and smoke.
It was a test that was emulating the kind of advanced threats seen around the globe today.
It is the first time that the Royal Navy has faced down a target like this that is significantly 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
The Sea Viper launched was a special telemetry version, which is specifically designed to record measurements and valuable data which will help inform future operations.
Just two and a half seconds after being blasted from HMS Dragon's silo, the missile accelerated to more than four times the speed of sound – otherwise known as Mach 4.
It flew high above the water before then manoeuvring at G-forces that no human being could withstand before closing in and destroying the target.
Commander Iain Giffin, HMS Dragon's Commanding Officer, said: "The successful Sea Viper firing as part of Formidable Shield 25 is a huge moment for HMS Dragon.
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'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.
'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.'
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.
It tracks aircraft and other objects across thousands of cubic miles of airspace over the Hebrides range in western Scotland.
It then uses this information to identify threats and destroys 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
Lieutenant Commander Sarah Kaese, Dragon's Senior Warfare Officer, who is on exchange from the Royal Australian Navy, called the ship's progress "impressive".
She said: "Seeing how far Dragon has progressed, both within the Warfare Department as well as the wider ship, is impressive.
'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.'
Formidable Shield sees naval forces battle against uncrewed air and surface systems, subsonic, supersonic and ballistic targets.
And it is bringing together allied ships and land-based air defences and air forces, which all work together to prove themselves a credible combined combat power.
Almost every participant is due to launch missiles over the course of the month-long workout.
The first phase of the exercise took place at the Andøya firing range in Norway, before it moved on to the range in the Hebrides.
And it is due to end on Saturday, May 31.
