Free Republic

The Royal Australian Navy fired Raytheon Company's warfare missile during recent tests on board the HMAS Melbourne. "With this firing, Melbourne's crew validated the work done to transition warships from SM-1 capability to SM-2," said Ron Shields, Raytheon's SM-2 program director. "This was the first time an SM-2 has been launched by any navy from an upgraded frigate, clearing the way for other fleets to make similar upgrades." As the most widely fielded variant of SM-2, Block IIIA is deployed by the U.S. and eight allied navies. The missile is part of a long-range area air defense capability capitalizing on...