• HMAS Sydney fires an SM-6 missile inside the US Pacific Missile Range. Credit: Defence
    HMAS Sydney fires an SM-6 missile inside the US Pacific Missile Range. Credit: Defence
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Defence will spend $7 billion to acquire Standard Missile Block III C (SM-2IIIC) and more Standard Missile-6s (SM-6) for the Royal Australian Navy.

They will be gradually rolled out across Navy's surface fleet including the Hobart class destroyers and future Hunter class frigates. In August, HMAS Sydney became the first non-US Navy ship to fire the SM-6 Extended Range Active Missile during Exercise Pacific Dragon near Hawaii.

“The Standard Missile‑6 and Standard Missile 2 Block IIIC will enable our Navy to strike maritime, land and air targets at long-range, and provide a terminal ballistic missile defence capability, boosting the capacity for the ADF to safeguard Australians and their interests," said the Minister for Defence, Richard Marles.

While the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) is yet to issue a formal notification of the sale, the weapons are being procured through a US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case. It is expected that RTX will be prime contractor on the FMS case as it builds both the SM-2IIIC and SM-6.

“Raytheon Australia welcomes the Australian Government’s announcement today to further increase the lethality of its naval surface fleet through the acquisition of additional Raytheon Standard Missiles (SM-2 and SM-6)," said Raytheon Australia Managing Director Ohad Katz.

"As a strategic partner in the Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise, we engage regularly with the Australian Government and Defence to ensure that we are doing our part to grow Australia’s strong industrial base that will be critical to support national security outcomes for decades to come."

 

 

 

 

 

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