Nichols Martin
The U.S. Navy and the Missile Defense Agency have tested the interception performance of the Raytheon-made Standard Missile-3‘s Block-IIA variant with a land-launched target.
The Navy’s USS John Finn destroyer launched the SM-3 IIA missile to intercept the ballistic target during the test in Hawaii, marking the missile’s second fulfilled interception, Raytheon said Friday.
“This second intercept for the SM-3 Block IIA is a success we share with the Missile Defense Agency and the country of Japan, our cooperative development partners,” said Taylor Lawrence, president at Raytheon Missile Systems.
The SM-3’s IIA variant is equipped with bigger rocket motors and kinetic warhead for use against threats outside the atmosphere.
Aerojet Rocketdyne provided its MK 72 booster as part of the missile’s propulsion system during the test.
