StormBreaker, SM-3, SM-6
The Raytheon chalet, stand #C9/E09, at the Farnborough International Airshow is showcasing some of the latest developments of the company.
Raytheon’s StormBreaker, formerly called Small Diameter Bomb II, entered operational testing, a step closer to providing US Air Force (USAF) pilots the capability to strike manoeuvring targets in adverse weather. Operational testing followed completion of a successful Operational Test Readiness Review in April. The StormBreaker tri-mode seeker uses imaging infrared, millimetre wave and semi-active laser, giving pilots the ability to destroy moving targets on the battlefield in adverse weather. Its seeker detects, classifies, tracks and destroys targets, even in adverse weather conditions from standoff ranges.
With nearly 30 intercepts in space, the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) programme continues to strengthen the missile defence shield for the US and its allies. When the land-based SM-3 site in Poland is declared operational, “all of Europe will be protected against ballistic missile attacks,” the company boasts.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) approved sales of Raytheon’s Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) to several international customers. Many of the approved countries are seeking the multi-mission SM-6 to bolster their shipbuilding programmes. SM-6 currently provides US Navy vessels with extended-range protection against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of flight. The missile has also successfully proven its ability as an offensive effector against targets on the ocean’s surface. International navies are seeking the level of sophisticated protection and flexibility that SM-6 provides.
Norway’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) conducted a successful test of the Joint Strike Missile (JSM) that demonstrated the weapon’s ability to change course to avoid hitting a decoy target, and ability to fly at low, radar-evading altitudes. Raytheon has a teaming agreement with Kongsberg to develop the JSM for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, beginning with integration work on the F-16 Fighting FALCON.
