In a demonstration of ongoing commitment to transatlantic security and defense interoperability, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, in conjunction with the Danish Defense Forces, will be conducting advanced convoy protection drills using the state-of-the-art, modular SM-6 missile launcher beginning the week of Sept. 18 in Bornholm, Denmark. By conducting these operations from Danish soil, the United States reaffirms the strategic importance of Denmark as a key ally in ensuring regional stability. This exercise further solidifies the enduring defense partnership between the U.S. and Denmark, emphasizing joint dedication to mutual security objectives and cooperative defense efforts.
The Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) or RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM) is a missile in current production for the United States Navy. It was designed for extended-range anti-air warfare (ER-AAW) purposes, providing capability against fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, anti-ship cruise missiles in flight, both over sea and land, and terminal ballistic missile defense. It can also be used as a high-speed anti-ship missile. The missile uses the airframe of the earlier SM-2ER Block IV (RIM-156A) missile, adding the active radar homing seeker from the AIM-120C AMRAAM in place of the semi-active seeker of the previous design.
The SM-6 missile system stands as a testament to advanced defense technology. It possesses the capability to intercept airborne threats, including the critical interception of ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight. The missile’s dual-capability design ensures precision engagement of both stationary terrestrial targets and dynamic maritime adversaries. The containerized configuration of the SM-6 launcher augments the U.S. Navy’s operational flexibility, facilitating rapid deployment and utilization in diverse theaters of operation, thereby underlining the commitment of the United States to ensure the security interests of itself and its allies.
The U.S. Navy had revealed that it recently demonstrated a road-mobile ground-based launching system for multi-purpose SM-6 missiles at an as-yet undisclosed location in Europe. The containerized launcher module, in this case loaded onto a tractor-trailer, is all but certainly the same type, or a variant thereof, as the one that was installed on the unmanned test ship Ranger for a live-fire test. This launcher system is also set to be a component of the U.S. Army’s future Typhon system, which is expected to be able to fire SM-6s, as well as Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles. Earlier this year, the U.S. Army fired an SM-6 missile from the mid-range capability.
