Raytheon delivered the first Standard Missile-6 production round to the U.S. Navy. "Five years ago, Raytheon promised the U.S. Navy that SM-6 would be delivered in March 2011, and we delivered on that promise," said Frank Wyatt, vice president of Raytheon's Air and Missile Defense Systems product line.

"Raytheon delivered the SM-6 to our customer and met cost expectations for system development and demonstration. Now the U.S. Navy has a missile that provides an umbrella of protection against the full spectrum of air threats."

SM-6 leverages the legacy Standard Missile airframe and propulsion elements while incorporating the advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities of Raytheon's Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.

"SM-6 is a remarkable missile because it combines the reliability of time-tested systems with all the latest advancements in missile technology," said Wyatt.

"This missile can use both active and semiactive modes, giving the warfighter an enhanced ability to reach remote targets."