Article Posted on : - Jan 15, 2015

The USS John Paul Jones used a Standard Missile-6 to destroy a supersonic high altitude target drone in a live fire tests June 18-20, 2014. A US Navy photo.

TUCSON, ARIZONA (BNS): The US Navy has authorised ships in the Aegis Combat Weapon System baselines 5.3 and 3.A.0 series to carry Raytheon's Standard Missile-6. The authorisation expands the missile's use from five ships to more than 35 ships.

"SM-6 is the longest range integrated air and missile defense interceptor deployed, and its multi-role capabilities are unprecedented," said Mike Campisi, Standard Missile-6 senior programme director. "Its use is transforming how we define fleet defence."

Raytheon has delivered more than 130 missiles to the US Navy, which deployed SM-6 for the first time in December 2013.

SM-6 is a surface-to-air supersonic missile capable of successfully engaging manned and unmanned aerial vehicles and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. It also defends against land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles in flight, the Company said.

According to Raytheon, SM-6 delivers a proven over-the-horizon air defence capability by leveraging the time-tested advantages of the Standard Missile's airframe and propulsion.

The SM-6 uses both active and semiactive guidance modes and advanced fuzing techniques. It incorporates the advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities from Raytheon's Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.