Ross Wilkers
Raytheon has delivered the first Standard Missile-6 weapon to the Navy for defending naval vessels against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, drones and cruise missiles.
The company is aiming to upgrade SM-6 by 2015 for protecting against ballistic missiles in the final phase of flight, the company said Thursday.
Taylor Lawrence, president of Raytheon’s missile systems segment, said the Huntsville SM-6 team will be responsible for that weapon’s future updates.
SM-6 was assembled and delivered at the company’s Huntsville, Ala. missile factory, which also produces Standard Missile-3.
According to the company, SM-3 is intended to destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles and deliveries of that missile will start later this year.
During the delivery ceremony Thursday, Raytheon also awarded $30,000 to the Free 2 Teach foundation, which provides school supplies to classrooms at no cost.
