PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, Hawaii - The Navy
successfully executed four flight tests of the surface-to-air STANDARD
Missile-6 Block I (SM-6 Blk I) off the Hawaiian coast between Jan. 11 and
22.
These tests, designated Alpha, Bravo, Delta, and Golf,
are part of the SM-6 Blk I Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation
(FOT&E) events planned to assess missile performance.
"These flight tests, once again, demonstrate the
versatility and capability that the SM-6 provides for our Navy's fleet
defense," said Capt. Michael Ladner, Program Executive Office for
Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) major program manager for Surface Ship
Weapons. "I'm extremely proud of
our STANDARD Missile team for their hard work and efforts in achieving four
more successful SM-6 missions. These tests mark the longest downrange and
cross-range engagements of the SM-6 to date."
The SM-6 provides an over-the-horizon engagement
capability when launched from an Aegis warship and uses the latest in hardware
and software missile technology to provide needed capabilities against evolving
air threats.
Flight test Alpha was the longest downrange, and flight
test Bravo was the longest cross-range intercepts with an SM-6 to date. Along
with flight tests Alpha and Bravo, flight test Delta successfully intercepted
two targets with simultaneous engagements, and flight test Golf successfully
intercepted a target with electronic counter-measures.
"I consider these tests a major milestone and a
confirmation of how far the team has come since this program first
started," said Kirk Johnson, PEO IWS Surface Ship Missiles principal
assistant program manager. "These
program accomplishments are a testament to many years of hard work and
dedication of the entire STANDARD Missile team."
The SM-6 is the sixth fielded variant of the STANDARD
Missile family. The SM-6 program has completed development and achieved Initial
Operational Capability in November 2013. It is currently in the FOT&E
phase, with a projected Full Operational Capability declaration date during the
first quarter of fiscal year 2018.
PEO IWS is an affiliated Program Executive Office of the
Naval Sea Systems Command. IWS is responsible for spearheading surface ship and
submarine combat technologies and systems, and for implementing Navy enterprise
solutions across ship platforms.
- NAVSEA -