Nichols Martin
The Missile Defense Agency and Japan’s maritime self-defense force demonstrated the interceptor function of a Raytheon-made missile during a recent flight test near Kauai, Hawaii.
Japan’s JS Atago launched Raytheon’s Standard Missile-3 Block IB unit to intercept a ballistic missile target with the support of the U.S. Navy, Raytheon said Wednesday.
The test confirms the ship’s compatibility with the SM-3 missile’s IB variant that features new seeker and control systems for increased edge against more threats.
Taylor Lawrence, president at Raytheon’s missile systems business, said that the SM-3 series demonstrates usability against land and sea threats.
Raytheon manufactures SM-3 units at facilities in Tucson, Ariz. and Huntsville, Ala.
