The test took place during Exercise Formidable Shield 25, the largest live-firing exercise in Europe this year, aimed at demonstrating HMS Dragon’s capability to defend itself and allied ships from modern aerial threats. The supersonic missile, designed to emulate global high-speed threats, demonstrated corkscrew and weaving manoeuvres, presenting a significantly challenging target.
A Friday fireball courtesy of @HMSDragon…
In a burst of fire and smoke, the Type 45 destroyer launched a specially-modified Sea Viper missile at an incoming high-speed target which was emulating the kind of advanced threats seen around the globe today.
— Royal Navy (@RoyalNavy) May 16, 2025
Commander Iain Giffin, HMS Dragon’s Commanding Officer, expressed pride in the warship’s achievement, stating: “The successful Sea Viper firing as part of Formidable Shield 25 is a huge moment for HMS Dragon. 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.”
The Sea Viper missile, launched from HMS Dragon’s silo, reached more than four times the speed of sound – Mach 4 – within just two and a half seconds. High above the water, it executed rapid manoeuvres at forces far beyond human endurance to intercept and destroy the target.
The missile used was a special telemetry version, designed to capture valuable data for future naval operations. Sea Viper combines the Sampson radar system, which sits atop the destroyer’s mast, with the Aster missile system on the forecastle, allowing it to track and neutralise aerial threats across vast areas.
Lieutenant Commander Sarah Kaese, HMS Dragon’s Senior Warfare Officer, highlighted the ship’s progress, saying: “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.”
Exercise Formidable Shield 25, involving nearly 7,000 personnel from 11 nations, showcases the ability of naval forces to counter diverse threats, including uncrewed air and surface systems and ballistic targets. The event started at the Andøya firing range in Norway and continued at the Hebrides range, concluding on 31 May.
Source: Royal Navy.
