66.89 (+1.25) Last Updated: 03/22/2013*
On June 27, 2012, off the coast of Hawaii, Raytheon’s Standard Missile-3 Block IB destroyed another ballistic missile target in a joint U.S. Navy and Missile Defense Agency test.
The SM-3 is a defensive weapon used by the U.S. Navy to destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The SM-3 destroys incoming ballistic missile threats by colliding with them, a concept sometimes described as “hitting a bullet with a bullet.” The impact is the equivalent of a 10-ton truck traveling at 600 mph.
The test marks the 21st successful intercept for the SM-3 program, which is a critical piece of the United States’ Phased Adaptive Approach for missile defense.
Learn more about Raytheon's Air & Missile Defense Systems.
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News Release
Raytheon's newest SM-3 takes out ballistic missile target
Media Coverage
SM-3 Block 1B Destroys Target in 2nd Straight Test Success
(Space News)
Pearl Harbor ship conducts successful missile defense test (Star Advertiser)
SM-3 Launch Photos
Click on an image to enlarge/ download. Photos courtesy of U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
Infographic
The Evolution of Standard Missile-3
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