Raytheon has been awarded a USD 333 million (EUR 324 million) contract from the US Navy to produce Standard Missile -6 (SM-6) Block IA missiles, parent company RTX announced on 13 January 2025.
Deployed on US Navy ships, SM-6 “delivers a proven, over-the-horizon offensive and defensive capability by leveraging the time-tested Standard Missile airframe and propulsion system”, RTX noted in a press release, adding that it is “the only missile that supports anti-air and anti-surface warfare and sea-based terminal ballistic missile defence in one solution, enabling the US and its allies to cost-effectively increase the offensive might of surface forces”.
SM-6 missiles have been successfully fired from various US Navy ships and unmanned vessels as well as launchers on land. In March 2024 an SM-6 demonstrated its anti-missile capabilities by successfully intercepting a medium-range ballistic missile target at sea during the Flight Test Aegis Weapon System (FTM)-32 exercise.
“SM-6 has a proven performance, and this contract is an important step for providing this urgently needed weapon to our armed forces,” stated Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon. “Raytheon continues to work closely with our customers to ensure our military has an unfair advantage at sea and to keep our adversaries guessing.”
Production under this latest SM-6 contract will be completed at Raytheon facilities in Tucson, Arizona; Huntsville, Alabama; Andover, Massachusetts; and Dine, New Mexico.
Completion of the contract expected by 2027.
