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The Missile Defense Agency just awarded Raytheon $925 million for development of the newest version of the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3), which will improve on the already hugely successful SM-3 designs in service right now.
This project will be a collaboration between Japan and the United States. The two navies use the SM-3 to potentially destroy short and intermediate range ballistic missiles.
Currently, the SM-3 Block IA is in service and the Block IB will be by installed 2015. This new version is an upgrade, the Block IIA.
So far, the SM-3 program has had 21 successful missile interceptions. Destroying incoming ballistic missiles, often referred to as the "hitting a bullet with a bullet" problem, is remarkably difficult.
We took a look at what the SM-3 does.
The SM-3 is launched from a Vertical Launch System on a ship
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The initial lift is from an Aerojet rocket booster
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The missile connects with the command center on the ship right after launch, receiving guidance from the AEGIS system
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See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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