Firing trials of the new Sea Ceptor air defence system have been successfully completed on board HMS Argyll.

The new missile defence system will provide UK personnel with a powerful shield against airborne targets – including hostile combat jets and helicopters, as well enemy missiles travelling at supersonic speeds.

The system uses a new UK-developed missile that is capable of reaching speeds of up to three times the speed of sound, and will have the ability to deal with multiple targets simultaneously, protecting an area of around 500 square miles over land or sea.

The warship on which the tests were conducted, HMS Argyll, will deploy to Japan next year fitted with the Sea Ceptor missile system.