Raytheon Company’s Standard Missile-6 program has moved from low-rate to full-rate production, clearing the path for significantly increased production numbers and focus on further cost-reduction opportunities.
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 first full-rate production round was delivered to the U.S. Navy from Raytheon’s state-of-the-art SM-6 and SM-3 all-up-round production facility at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. Prior to final assembly, a majority of the SM-6’s section level assembly and testing development took place at Raytheon’s subsystem center factory in Tucson, Ariz.
Raytheon has delivered more than 180 missiles to the U.S. Navy, which deployed SM-6 for the first time in December 2013.
Image: US Navy