PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, Hawaii, Feb. 4,
2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Navy and Missile Defense
Agency (MDA) have completed the first successful intercept flight
test of a Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) Standard Missile-3 (SM-3)
Block IIA, a defensive weapon designed to defeat short- to
intermediate-range ballistic missile threats.
Crew members onboard the USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) launched a
SM-3 Block IIA, which successfully engaged and destroyed a
land-launched target resembling an advanced ballistic missile
threat.
"The SM-3 Block IIA program continues to reflect MDA's
commitment to maturing this regional ballistic missile defense
capability for the defense of our nation, its deployed forces and
our allies abroad," said Dr. Taylor W.
Lawrence, Raytheon Missile Systems president. "This test
success keeps the program on track for deployment at sea and ashore
in the 2018 timeframe, building on Raytheon's unequalled
fifteen-year history of exo-atmospheric intercepts."
The test's primary objective was a successful intercept. The
mission was also designed to evaluate key missile system
performance, including the kinetic warhead, divert and attitude
control system functionality, nosecone performance, steering
control section function, booster performance and separation and
the second and third stage rocket motor performance and
separation.
The interceptor's kinetic warhead has been enhanced to best
address advanced and emerging threats, with improvements to the
search, discrimination, acquisition and tracking functions. The
kinetic warhead, along with larger rocket motors, allows SM-3 Block
IIA to engage more sophisticated threats and protect larger regions
from short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats,
providing greater operational flexibility.
The SM-3 Block IIA was flown twice before in successful test
demonstrations, both without target intercepts, in order to fully
evaluate the missile in flight and prepare for the first intercept
test. Future flight tests will continue to evaluate system
performance, en-route to a 2018 deployment in support of the
European Phased Adaptive Approach Phase 3.
About the Standard Missile-3
SM-3s destroy incoming ballistic missile threats in space using
nothing more than sheer impact, equivalent to a 10-ton truck
traveling at 600 mph.
- SM-3 Block IB is deployed at sea and ashore in Romania.
- SM-3 Block IIA is on track for deployment at sea and ashore in
2018. B
About Raytheon
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. Follow us
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Media Contacts
Amanda
Schildt
+1.571.305.3915
rmspr@raytheon.com
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SOURCE Raytheon Company