A missile developed by Raytheon, called the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), recently intercepted a medium-range ballistic missile target at sea in its final moments of flight after being deployed from the destroyer USS John Paul Jones.
According to Raytheon, the missile can perform anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and more-advanced ballistic missile defense at sea.
The most recent test was the third instance in which SM-6 successfully engaged a ballistic missile target in its terminal phase at sea, with the first test occurring in August 2015 and the second in late 2016.
SM-6 leverages Raytheon’s standard missile airframe and propulsion system and is the only missile that currently supports anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare and sea-based terminal ballistic missile defense in one. Raytheon said it has delivered more than 330 SM-6 missiles with continuing production.
“Earlier this year, our customer requested an enhanced capability to deal with a sophisticated medium-range ballistic missile threat,” Mike Campisi, program director for Raytheon’s SM-6, said. “We did all this – the analysis, coding and testing – in seven months; a process that normally takes one to two years.”
The SM-6 has been approved for sale to several U.S. Department of Defense-allied nations.