U.S. Navy Readies New Compact Agile Interceptor For Flight Tests - Naval News

Amid growing concerns of missile inventory size and VLS cell count, the U.S. Navy is set to test a new surface-launched missile interceptor designed to maximize capacity in their Mark 41 VLS cells. The effort comes as production of SM-6 ramps up into the late 2020s to match inventory requirements, alongside increased production of RIM-162 ESSM Block II.