March 7 (Reuters) - Raytheon Co said on Monday its Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) successfully hit a surface target - the decommissioned USS Reuben James - in a recent flight test.
SM-6, which currently has anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defense from sea capabilities, is being tested in terminal defense and anti-surface warfare.
The company also said the SM-6 successfully engaged five targets, breaking its previous maximum engagement range record set in June 2014.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in February the Pentagon’s five-year budget plan included a $2.9 billion to modify Raytheon’s new SM-6 missiles for use as powerful anti-ship weapons and buy 625 more of the weapons.
Raytheon to date has delivered more than 250 SM-6 missiles, first deployed in 2013, the company said. (Reporting by Radhika Rukmangadhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
