Global Security Newswire

U.S. defense contractors Raytheon and Aerojet have carried out a laboratory test of the warhead for a new version of the Standard Missile 3 interceptor, advancing the antimissile technology closer to initial flight testing, according to a press release issued yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 28, 2010).

The system integration test for the SM-3 Block 1B was conducted in a high-altitude room at an Aerojet site in Sacramento, Calif. It affirmed the warhead was capable of identifying, monitoring and taking out a ballistic missile traveling in a weightless environment, Raytheon said in the release.

"The test demonstrated the fire control loop of the kinetic warhead on the ground, which is a key indicator that we're on track for the first SM-3 Block 1B intercept in space this year," Raytheon Vice President Frank Wyatt said in provided comments. "Raytheon has the right people, the best supply base, the most robust production facilities and the expertise to deliver this critical capability to the fleet in 2012."

The SM-3 Block 1B is designed to sustain the performance predictability of the SM-3 Block 1A while enhancing the technology with a sophisticated two-color infrared seeker, a high-tech signal processor and the Throttleable Divert and Altitude Control System, according to the company.

The new interceptor can be fielded at sea and on land in accordance with the Obama administration's "phased adaptive approach" for European missile defense (Raytheon Co. release, Feb. 8).