Defense Speak Interpreted: Is DARPA Still Around After CHIPS?
Beyond the Board: Orbital High Ground—Why Space Superiority Is Slipping Away
The Government Circuit: Trump’s Trade War Disrupts the Electronics Ecosystem
Raytheon Standard Missile-6 Successfully Hits Surface Target
March 8, 2016 | Raytheon CompanyEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Raytheon Company's Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) successfully engaged a surface target -- the decommissioned USS Reuben James (FFG 57) -- in a recent flight test. The test was a demonstration of the U.S. Navy's concept of "distributed lethality," employing ships in dispersed formations to increase the offensive might of the surface force and enabling future options for the joint force commander. The USS John Paul Jones fired the SM-6 during the test; another Air Defense Arleigh Burke Class Destroyer was on station as the assist ship.
The mission validated that the legacy Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW) capability of the Standard Missile-2 family of missiles and the MK7 Aegis Weapon System (AWS) has successfully carried over to SM-6 and the latest Aegis Destroyer baseline 9. The investment in the Standard Missile family resulted in an affordable SM-6 effector that continues to perform beyond expectations.
"This test event demonstrated Raytheon's decades of continued technological development and partnership with the U.S. Navy," said Dr. Taylor Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. "The ability to leverage the Standard Missile Family and the legacy AWS in newly fielded systems brings additional warfighting capability to the U.S. Fleet."
In recent testing, SM-6 has shown expanded mission capability in three key areas: Anti-Air Warfare, Sea-Based Terminal and Anti-Surface Warfare. The tri-mission capability of SM-6 continues to emphasize its value by providing additional capability beyond its original intended mission.
Raytheon has delivered more than 250 SM-6 missiles, which were deployed for the first time in 2013. The missile's final assembly takes place at Raytheon's state-of-the-art SM-6 and SM-3 all-up-round production facility at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala.
About the Standard Missile-6
SM-6 delivers a proven, over-the-horizon, air defense capability based on the time-tested advantages of the Standard Missile's airframe and propulsion.
- The SM-6 uses both active and semi-active guidance modes and advanced fuzing techniques.
- It incorporates the advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities of Raytheon's Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.
- SM-6 delivers multi-mission capability for long-range Fleet Air Defense and Sea-Based Terminal Defense.
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2015 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 94 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Defense Speak Interpreted: Is DARPA Still Around After CHIPS?
06/24/2025 | Dennis Fritz -- Column: Defense Speak InterpretedWhen I first published my Defense Speaks Interpreted column in January 2019 on the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA ERI), the agency advocated for an expanded Defense emphasis on closing the growing technology gap in microelectronics. The emphasis was on “resurgence.”
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
06/13/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Today is Friday the 13th, and in much of Western folklore, this is a day when bad luck is lurking. But while Friday the 13th may top Western superstition charts, the global calendar is sprinkled with its own unlucky legends. In Spain and Greece, the bad juju lands on Tuesday the 13th—a day linked to Mars, the god of war, and naturally, chaos. In Italy, it’s Friday the 17th that is feared, thanks to the Roman numeral XVII, which can be rearranged to spell VIXI—Latin for “I have lived” (a poetic way of saying you’re dead).
TTCI Celebrates Melanie Rutkauskas’ 10-Year Anniversary and Her Leadership of New Training Division
06/12/2025 | TTCIThe Test Connection Inc. (TTCI), a leading provider of electronic test and manufacturing solutions, is proud to celebrate Melanie Rutkauskas on her 10-year anniversary with the company.
Bridging the Knowledge Gap in Test: A Conversation with Bert Horner
06/11/2025 | Barry Matties, I-Connect007Bert Horner is a seasoned industry veteran and co-creator of The Test Connection, Inc. (TTCI), a test and inspection company spanning over 45 years. In this candid conversation, Bert reflects on the challenges our industry faces with the retirement of career professionals and the subsequent loss of critical tribal knowledge. As he unveils The Training Connection’s innovative training initiatives, Bert emphasizes the importance of evolving educational programs that align with industry needs, particularly in design for test (DFT), and sheds light on strategies being implemented to foster the next generation of engineers.
IPC Hall of Fame Spotlight Series: Highlighting Bob Neves
06/11/2025 | Dan Feinberg, I-Connect007Many IPC members who have contributed significantly to IPC and our industry have been awarded the IPC Raymond E. Pritchard Hall of Fame (HOF) Award. This Hall of Fame spotlight features industry veteran Bob Neves, who joined IPC in 1986 and was inducted into the IPC Hall of Fame in 2007.