Non-Subscriber Extract
SM-6 missile passes its first test
By Casandra Newell
30 June 2008
The US Navy announced on 24 June the successful completion of the first test of the Standard Missile (SM-6) Extended-Range Active Missile (ERAM).
The SM-6 was launched from the navy's Desert Ship test facility that replicates components of the navy's Aegis weapon system. The ERAM intercepted a Northrop Grumman-built BQM-74 aerial drone.
The SM-6 ERAM employs extended-range technology from the legacy SM-2 Block IV along with the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile's (AMRAAM's) active seeker.
The new active seeker technology will increase the SM-6's area of operation by providing autonomous illumination through a transmitter instead of relying on shipboard illumination.
The active seeker will also give the SM-6 over-the-horizon capabilities, which will allow the missile to follow a target that is beyond the ship's line of sight. The SM-6 also contains self-testing software.