Royal Navy Warship Shot Down a Supersonic Missile in ‘Historic First’

One of the British Royal Navy’s most advanced warships, the HMS Dragon, completed a “historic first” when it shot down a supersonic missile in a test off the coast of Scotland on Friday, the force said.

The Type 45 air defense destroyer fired a modified Sea Viper missile and “obliterated” an “incoming high-speed target” that was designed to imitate some of the latest and most advanced threats facing the force around the world, the navy said in a press release.

It added that it marked “the first time the Royal Navy has faced down this kind of target,” which it said was “significantly more challenging as it flies faster and carries out corkscrew and weave manoeuvres.”

Footage shared by the Royal Navy on X shows the strike, which occurred as part of Exercise Formidable Shield 25, a large-scale NATO live-firing exercise taking place in Norway and the UK this year.

Commander Iain Giffin, the commanding officer of the HMS Dragon, said the strike was “a huge moment” for the destroyer.

“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,” he said. “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.”

The HMS Dragon is a Type 45 destroyer and one of the UK’s most advanced warships.

With more than 200 crew, the vessel plays a key role in Britain’s air defenses, using its Sea Viper missile system to seek out and neutralise threats. Dragon can also be deployed to provide assistance in disaster relief scenarios and counter-narcotics boarding operations.

The UK has been testing out a range of new strike capabilities on its warships in recent years.

In 2024, the UK’s Ministry of Defence first showed off its new DragonFire laser weapon, with video footage showing it in action off the coast of Scotland.

The laser directed energy weapon is a high-power, low-cost weapon system designed to target aerial threats with “pinpoint accuracy,” according to the UK government.

A UK Ministry of Defence official told Business Insider in March that it was planning to deploy the weapon on four Royal Navy destroyers by 2027.