Raytheon:
During its final land-based test, Raytheon’s advanced Standard Missile-6 Block IA engaged and destroyed a subsonic target from the USS Desert Ship, a test site in southern New Mexico. The SM-6 Block IA will now enter the at-sea testing phase, bringing it closer to low-rate initial production later this year.
The SM-6 Block IA is an emerging change to SM-6 BLK 1, with improvements to the guidance section. These enhancements allow the missile to seek out and destroy a wide variety of advanced threats with precision.
“The Block IA brings a new level of sophistication to the SM-6 and increases the precision of the missile even more,” said Mike Campisi, Raytheon’s SM-6 senior program director. “Relying less on a ship combat system means the missile can continue to engage targets further and further away with extreme accuracy.”
SM-6 is the only missile in the world that can perform anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and terminal ballistic missile defense.
Final assembly of SM-6 takes place at Raytheon’s state-of-the-art production facility at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. Raytheon has delivered approximately 340 SM-6 missiles with continuing production…
