American SM-3 Shot Down Iranian Ballistic Missile Flying Toward Turkey

An Iranian ballistic missile heading towards Turkish airspace was shot down by NATO air and missile defense forces in the Eastern Mediterranean.

This was reported by the Turkish Ministry of Defense.

The ministry said the missile was detected after being launched from Iranian territory. It was flying towards Turkey.

According to the Turkish Defense Ministry, the missile flew through the airspace of Iraq and Syria. The target was detected by NATO air and missile defense systems deployed in the eastern Mediterranean.

The video released shows an American-made SM-3 interceptor missile.

After destroying the target, the fragments of the interceptor missile fell in the Dörtol district of Hatay province in southern Turkey. The Turkish gendarmerie quickly collected the debris and secured the crash site.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense reported that no one was killed or injured as a result of the incident.

Standard Missile-3 anti-missile, abbreviation SM-3

Short-range ballistic missiles can be intercepted by ship-based systems armed with Standard Missile-3 missiles. At one time, these missiles became the main anti-missile shield of the United States, protecting the continental part of America from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The SM-3 interceptor was developed gradually, accompanied by an intensive testing program. Since 2002, the US Navy has conducted a significant number of Standard Missile-3 tests.

Its origins go back much further: the SM-3’s hull design is an evolution of the SM-2 Block IV, developed as part of the Navy Theater Wide program in the 1990s. The technology for miniaturizing combat interceptors began to develop during the implementation of the Strategic Defense Initiative.

The missile is based on combat ships equipped with the AEGIS system: in the US Navy, these are Arleigh Burke destroyers and Ticonderoga cruisers (launch of anti-missiles from it in the photo above).

Recall that the US and Israel have launched a military operation against Iran. The US plans to eliminate Iran’s missile industry, as well as its naval capabilities. Israel, meanwhile, plans to overthrow the Ayatollah regime, which has been in power since 1979.