Royal Navy warship destroys supersonic missile in ‘historic first’
16 May 2025, 21:23
One of the UK’s most advanced warships has destroyed a supersonic missile in a “historic first” for the Royal Navy.
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HMS Dragon, a Plymouth-based Type 45 destroyer, eliminated a high-speed target which was designed to emulate the most up-to-date advanced capabilities seen in combat in recent years.
Footage shows the destroyer using its Sea Viper anti-air missile system to shoot down an incoming high-speed target capable of “corkscrew” and “weave” manoeuvres.
Iain Giffin, Commanding Officer of HMS Dragon, said the results proved the ship has “world leading” air defence capability and demonstrated the Navy’s ability to “integrate and operate alongside Nato allies and partners”.
The Sea Viper system enabled the Royal Navy to shoot down a ballistic missile in combat for the first time last year.
HMS Diamond used it while deployed in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to shoot down an Iranian-made missile which had been launched by the Houthis in Yemen.
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The system has received increased investment since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the government announced a £405 million investment to fund upgrades.
The exercise off the coast of Scotland was part of Nato’s Exercise Formidable Shield, which runs from May 1 to May 31.
The operation by HMS Dragon was designed to test the Navy’s ability to defend itself from attacks involving recently developed methods of warfare, such as swarms of drones.
“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,” Commanding Officer Giffin said.
Lieutenant Commander Sarah Kaese, HMS Dragon’s senior warfare officer, who is on exchange from the Royal Australian Navy, 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.”
