PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, Hawaii (NNS) -- The Navy successfully executed four flight tests of the surface-to-air Standard Missile-6 Block I (SM-6 Blk I) off the Hawaiian coast between Jan. 11 and 22.
These tests, designated Alpha, Bravo, Delta, and Golf, are part of the SM-6 Blk I Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) events planned to assess missile performance.
"These flight tests, once again, demonstrate the versatility and capability that the SM-6 provides for our Navy's fleet defense," said Capt. Michael Ladner, Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) major program manager for Surface Ship Weapons. "I'm extremely proud of our Standard Missile team for their hard work and efforts in achieving four more successful SM-6 missions. These tests mark the longest downrange and cross-range engagements of the SM-6 to date."
The SM-6 provides an over-the-horizon engagement capability when launched from an Aegis warship and uses the latest in hardware and software missile technology to provide needed capabilities against evolving air threats.
Flight test Alpha was the longest downrange, and flight test Bravo was the longest cross-range intercepts with an SM-6 to date. Along with flight tests Alpha and Bravo, flight test Delta successfully intercepted two targets with simultaneous engagements, and flight test Golf successfully intercepted a target with electronic counter-measures.
"I consider these tests a major milestone and a confirmation of how far the team has come since this program first started," said Kirk Johnson, PEO IWS Surface Ship Missiles principal assistant program manager. "These program accomplishments are a testament to many years of hard work and dedication of the entire Standard Missile team."
The SM-6 is the sixth fielded variant of the Standard Missile family. The SM-6 program has completed development and achieved Initial Operational Capability in November 2013. It is currently in the FOT&E phase, with a projected Full Operational Capability declaration date during the first quarter of fiscal year 2018.
PEO IWS is an affiliated Program Executive Office of the Naval Sea Systems Command. IWS is responsible for spearheading surface ship and submarine combat technologies and systems, and for implementing Navy enterprise solutions across ship platforms.