The RIM-67 Standard ER (SM-1ER/SM-2ER) is an extended range

surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-aircraft syst ...

(SAM) and

anti-ship missile An anti-ship missile (AShM) is a guided missile that is designed for use against ships and large boats. Most anti-ship missiles are of the sea skimming variety, and many use a combination of inertial guidance and active radar homing. A good ...

originally developed for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

(USN). The RIM-67 was developed as a replacement for the

RIM-8 Talos Bendix RIM-8 Talos was a long-range naval surface-to-air missile, and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships. The Talos used radar beam riding for guidance to the vicinity of its target, and semiactive ra ...

, a 1950s system deployed on a variety of USN ships, and eventually replaced the

RIM-2 Terrier The Convair RIM-2 Terrier was a two-stage medium-range naval surface-to-air missile (SAM), and was among the earliest surface-to-air missiles to equip United States Navy ships. It underwent significant upgrades while in service, starting with beam ...

as well, since it was of a similar size and fitted existing Terrier launchers and magazines. The

RIM-66 Standard The RIM-66 Standard MR (SM-1MR/SM-2MR) is a medium-range surface-to-air missile (SAM), with a secondary role as an anti-ship missile, originally developed for the United States Navy (USN). A member of the Standard Missile family of weapons, the ...

MR was essentially the same missile without the booster stage, designed to replace the RIM-24 Tartar. The RIM-66/67 series thus became the US Navy's universal SAM system, hence the "Standard Missile" moniker.

RIM-67A SM-1 Extended Range

The RIM-67A (SM-1ER Block I) was the Navy's replacement for

missile. Improved technology allowed the RIM-67 to be reduced to the size of the earlier

missile. Existing ships with the Mk86 guided missile fire control system, or "Terrier" were adapted to employ the new missile in place of the older

missile. Ships that switched from the

to the RIM-67A were still referred to as Terrier ships even though they were equipped with the newer missile.

RIM-67B and RIM-156 SM-2 Extended Range

The second generation of Standard missile, the Standard Missile 2, was developed for the

Aegis combat system The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin. Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by ...

, and New Threat Upgrade program that was planned for existing Terrier and Tartar ships. The destroyer served as the test platform for the development of the CG/SM-2 (ER) missile program project. The principal change over the Standard missile 1 is the introduction of inertial guidance for each phase of the missile's flight except the terminal phase where semi-active homing was retained. This design change was made so that missiles could time share illumination radars and enable equipped ships to defend against saturation missile attacks. Terrier ships reequipped as part of the New Threat Upgrade were refit to operate the RIM-67B (SM-2ER Block II) missile. However, Aegis ships were not equipped with launchers that had space enough for the longer RIM-67B. The RIM-156A Standard SM-2ER Block IV with the Mk 72 booster was developed to compensate for the lack of a long range SAM for the of Aegis cruisers. The Mk72 booster allows the RIM-156A to fit into the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System. This configuration can also be used for Terminal phase Ballistic Missile Defense. There was a plan to build a nuclear armed standard missile mounting a W81 nuclear warhead as a replacement for the earlier Nuclear Terrier missile (RIM-2D). The USN rescinded the requirement for the nuclear armed missile in the 1980s, and the project was canceled. The Standard can also be used against ships, either at line-of-sight range using its semi-active homing mode, or over the horizon using inertial guidance and terminal infrared homing. RIM-174 Standard Missile 6 ERAM is a new generation of Standard extended range missiles, which became operational in 2013.

Operational history

During the

Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for almost eight years, until the acceptance of United Nations Security Counci ...

(1980–1988) the United States deployed Standard missiles to protect its navy, as well as other ships in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bo ...

from the threat of Iranian attacks. According to the Iranian Air Force, its

F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bo ...

s were engaged by SM-2ERs but managed to evade them, with one aircraft sustaining non-fatal damage due to shrapnel. During the same war the United States Navy mistakenly shot down an Iranian civilian airliner, Iran Air Flight 655 using two SM-2 missiles. On April 18, 1988, during

Operation Praying Mantis Operation Praying Mantis was an attack on 18 April 1988, by the United States Armed Forces within Iranian territorial waters in retaliation for the Iranian naval mining of the Persian Gulf during the Iran–Iraq War and the subsequent damage t ...

, the frigate fired four RIM-66 Standard missiles and the cruiser fired two RIM-67 Standard missiles at , an Iranian (Combattante II) ''Kaman''-class missile boat. The attacks destroyed the Iranian ship's superstructure but did not sink it. An 18 July 2015 test firing damaged the destroyer , restricting the older SM-2s to wartime use only.

Deployment

RIM-67 intercepts Firebee drone at White Sands 1980

RIM-67 Standard was deployed on ships of the following classes, replacing the

, and it never was VLS-capable. All of the ships used the AN/SPG-55 for guidance. The Mk10 guided missile launching system was used as the launching system. New Threat Upgrade equipped vessels operated the RIM-67B which used inertial guidance for every phase of the intercept except for the terminal phase where the AN/SPG-55 radar illuminates the target. * SM-1ER later SM-2ER with NTU. * ''Farragut''-class destroyers SM-1ER later SM-2ER with NTU ( only). *s SM-1ER later SM-2ER with NTU. * SM-1ER later SM-2ER with NTU. *s SM-1ER later SM-2ER with NTU. * SM-1ER later SM-2ER with NTU. * SM-1ER Only. The RIM-156 Standard Block IV, is a version that has been developed for

Aegis Combat System The Aegis Combat System is an American integrated naval weapons system developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Division of RCA, and it is now produced by Lockheed Martin. Initially used by the United States Navy, Aegis is now used also by ...

it has a smaller compact sized booster stage for firing from the Mk41 Guided missile launch system. Like the earlier RIM-67B it employs inertial/command guidance with terminal semi-active homing. *s (VLS units only) *s The last vessel to operate the RIM-67 was the which was retired in 2003. The

RIM-174 Standard ERAM The RIM-174 Standard Extended Range Active Missile (ERAM), or Standard Missile 6 (SM-6), is a missile in current production for the United States Navy. It was designed for extended-range anti-air warfare (ER-AAW) purposes, providing capabilit ...

or Standard Missile Six has superseded the RIM-156A in production. The RIM-156A remains in service as of 2010. RIM-67 Standard missiles have been withdrawn from service, remaining rounds are being re-manufactured in to GQM-163 Coyote supersonic targets.

Variants

Gallery

File:USS Josephus Daniels weapon.jpg, Blue training missiles on the rails of a MK-10 GMLS on File:USS Worden CG-18 Mark 10 launcher.jpg, showing the Mk 10 GMLS. Note the launcher at left, the blast doors behind launcher where the missiles exit the launcher feeder and AN/SPG-55 radars at middle right. File:RIM-67 Standard missiles aboard USS Mahan (DDG-42) on 1 March 1983 (6370832).jpg, An SM-2ER in the magazine area, on a ready service ring of the Mk-10 GMLS on ''Mahan'' File:US Navy 090923-N-1251W-010 The guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) launches a Standard Missile-2 while conducting torpedo evasion maneuvers during Multi-Sail 2009.jpg, The guided-missile destroyer USS ''Curtis Wilbur'' launches a RIM-156 Standard SM-2 ER missile while conducting torpedo evasion maneuvers during Multi-Sail 2009

References

External links

Raytheon Standard missile website, mfr of Standard missiles
{{US missiles RIM067 RIM067 RIM067 RIM067 RIM067 Military equipment introduced in the 1980s