Michael Armstrong, an associate professor in Brock’s Goodman School of Business, wrote a piece recently published in The Conversation about a missile interception by the guided-missile destroyer USS Mason and its implications for naval strategists.

Armstrong writes:

One year ago, the American warship USS Mason defended itself from attacking cruise missiles while patrolling the Red Sea. It was a minor affair with few shots fired and no one hurt. But it was noteworthy for its global security implications.

On Oct. 9, 2016, Mason’s radar detected two anti-ship cruise missiles launching 48 kilometres away from rebel-held areas of Yemen. They flew low over the water at about 1,100 kilometres an hour, and would reach the ship in just over two minutes.

Mason is a guided missile destroyer designed for air and missile defence. Sailors control its weapons from the combat information centre, a windowless room lit with Aegis computer system screens. Those weapons create several layers of defences.

The ship first launched two long-range Standard interceptor missiles. It followed those with one medium-range Evolved Sea Sparrow interceptor. The interceptors would try to shoot down the incoming cruise missiles. The ship also launched a Nulka decoy to fool the cruise missiles’ radar.

Continue reading the full article here.