After a complex series of U.S. Navy flight tests at Pacific Missile Firing Range in Hawaii, Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) proves it’s ready to reach its final stage of the acquisition process: full operational capability. Reaching FOC is a kind of graduation exercise that signifies the weapon's sea worthiness - no more testing required.
Produced by Raytheon Company, SM-6 is the only missile in the world that can perform anti-air warfare, anti-surface warfare, and terminal ballistic missile defense.
“The U.S. Navy began deploying SM-6s four years ago, but we’ve continued to give it software upgrades and test it in every possible scenario to learn more about what it could do. We've continued to raise the bar, and the missile has exceeded it every time,” said Mike Campisi, Raytheon’s SM-6 Senior Program Director.
Four SM-6 missiles were fired throughout the testing, each against a single shore-launched, sub- or supersonic target. All four test missions were successful.
“The missile is fully ready for deployment in all three modes at sea. That kind of flexibility is exactly what our sailors need, and that's exactly what they're going to get,” added Campisi.
Final assembly of SM-6 takes place at Raytheon’s state-of-the-art production facility at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. Raytheon has delivered more than 330 SM-6 missiles with continuing production.
The U.S. Department of Defense approved the release of SM-6 to several international customers in early 2017.
Raytheon Company, with 2016 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions.
With a history of innovation spanning 95 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, Massachusetts.
Photo: A model of the SM-6® missile is displayed outside the Raytheon factory that produces them in Huntsville, Alabama.
