Raytheon Standard Missile-3 Intercepts Challenging Ballistic Missile Targettitle
PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, KAUAI, Hawaii, Nov. 17, 2005 /PRNewswire-
FirstCall/ -- A Raytheon Company-produced Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) destroyed
a ballistic missile target outside the earths atmosphere during a Missile
Defense Agency / Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program flight test
over the Pacific Ocean. It was the sixth successful intercept for the Aegis
BMD program using the SM-3.
The Nov. 17 mission was the first test against a separating ballistic
missile target. The SM-3 Block I initial deployment round used in the test was
an operational missile delivered by Raytheon last year for testing and
availability for emergency deployment.
In the operationally realistic scenario, the SM-3 was launched from USS
Lake Erie, an Aegis BMD cruiser, and hit the target missile that had been
launched from the U.S. Navys Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai, Hawaii.
The ships crew was not informed of the target launch time and operational
testers observed the exercise to ensure a realistic wartime environment.
"SM-3 continues to perform flawlessly in increasingly challenging
scenarios. This test, using a missile right from the Navys inventory, was
conducted in operational conditions," said Edward Miyashiro, Raytheon Missile
Systems vice president, Naval Weapon Systems. "Continued success provides
confidence that the nation can increase the number of systems deployed and
make missile capability improvements. We are even seeing our international
allies taking a closer look at SM-3 for their homeland defense. Sea-based
ballistic missile defense provides a global capability."
Japan has decided to procure SM-3 and the Aegis BMD system for its Kongo
class ships.
Raytheons Missile Systems business in Tucson, Ariz., is developing SM-3
and leads the integrated team effort, which includes Alliant Techsystems,
Aerojet, and The Boeing Company.
Raytheon continues to deliver missiles to the Missile Defense Agency under
contract to increase the nations inventory of operational rounds. The kinetic
warhead seeker and final integration occur in Raytheons state-of-the-art kill
vehicle manufacturing facility in Tucson, alongside the Exoatmospheric Kill
Vehicle, an element of the Ground-based Missile Defense program. Final
assembly and testing occurs at Raytheons Camden, Ark., facility.
Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2004 sales of $20.2 billion, is an
industry leader in defense and government electronics, space, information
technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft.
With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 80,000 people worldwide.
Note to Editors:
Raytheons missile defense hit-to-kill successes with the Standard
Missile-3 occurred on Jan. 25, June 13 and Nov. 21, 2002; Dec. 11, 2003; and
Feb. 24, 2005. Successes with the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle, part of the
Ground-based Missile Defense program, occurred on Oct. 2, 1999; July 13 and
Dec. 3, 2001; and March 15 and Oct. 14, 2002.
Contact:
Sara Hammond
520.794.7810
