US Navy deploys Standard Missile-6 for first time
The U.S. Navy is deploying Raytheon's Standard Missile-6 for the first time, marking the initial operational capability milestone for the U.S. Navy's newest, most advanced extended range area defense weapon.
"We're very pleased to achieve initial operational capability on schedule," said Capt. Mike Ladner, Surface Ship Weapons major program manager. "The SM-6, with its ability to extend the battlespace, truly offers improved capability for the warfighter. I'm very proud of the entire STANDARD Missile team on this historic achievement."The SM-6 provides extended range protection against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles. The interceptor combines the airframe and propulsion of legacy Standard Missiles with the advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM).
