Standard Missile

Standard Missile is a Navy weapons-procurement line for the SM-6, funded under Weapons Procurement, Navy; Budget Activity 02, Other Missiles; and the Tactical Missiles budget subactivity. The SM-6 Block I, IA, and IAU provide extended-range engagements against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles in flight. The weapon protects joint U.S. forces, allies, forward-deployed ground maneuver forces, and theater assets. It is the primary extended-range air-defense weapon for AEGIS cruisers and destroyers, with use also identified for Constellation-class frigates and potentially future combatants.

SM-6 Block IA/IAU procurement builds on earlier Block I and Block I/IA purchases. A Block IA base-and-options arrangement began in fiscal year (FY) 2024, while the Navy's planned multiyear procurement (MYP) runs from FY 2026 through FY 2030 under authority provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026. The MYP is intended to meet the Munitions Acceleration Council's ramped quantities and expand the all-up-round (AUR) line to 500 missiles annually without further government capacity investment. Its business case relies on predictable demand and economic-order-quantity purchases from subcontractors.

FY 2027 missile and canister procurement has two funding contexts that must be read together. The displayed discretionary line funds 106 Block IA missiles and associated Mk 21 Mod 4 canisters for warfighter requirements; FY 2027 is identified as the last year of Block IA production. The broader request also includes mandatory funding, and the combined discretionary and mandatory plan supports contract requirements for 239 Block IAs, 301 Block IAUs, and 540 Block IA/IAU canisters. From FY 2027 onward, the canisters are procured separately from the prime missile contractor.

Propulsion and production capacity are distinct parts of the acquisition plan. FY 2027 is the first year of direct negotiations with Aerojet for the Mk 104 Dual Thrust Rocket Motor (DTRM) and Mk 72 booster; the production schedule calls for these components to arrive at least 90 days before the associated missile deliveries. Earlier production-startup investments began in FY 2022 to acquire special tooling and test equipment, supporting capacity to deliver 200 Block IAUs annually by FY 2028. Replication of that equipment is completed rather than funded again as an FY 2027 startup activity.

Production engineering and obsolescence support address changes needed in continuing manufacture. FY 2027 engineering services support incorporation of the Block IAU's new electronics unit into forward-flow production, with that effort scheduled to finish during the year. Diminishing Manufacturing Sources (DMS) work supports replacements for obsolete plate 3A and TDD items as those replacements enter production. These activities accompany missile purchases so that the transition to updated hardware does not interrupt the production flow.

Delivery, test, and fleet support cover several separate FY 2027 requirements. Shipping containers support Block IA/IAU procurement deliveries, while install-and-checkout funding buys IFTS kits for flight-test-round buildup; both new C-band and existing S-band kits are needed for increased flight-test events. Integrated logistics support (ILS) and fleet documentation incorporate engineering change proposals, waivers, deviations, new electronics, and obsolescence replacements. The work also updates Capabilities and Liabilities documentation and plans for AUR delivery and shipboard on-load ahead of firing events.

Advance procurement is a separate Standard Missile budget line, although it requests no FY 2027 funding. Earlier advance purchases bundled long-lead Mk 72 boosters, Mk 104 DTRMs, and guidance-section parts to reduce AUR costs and sustain planned deliveries. The booster and motor each have approximately 33-month lead times because of specialized steel and, for the booster, mating with a thrust-vector actuator; guidance sections take approximately 36 months because of specialized circuit-card assemblies. The advance-procurement approach gives suppliers time to operate within multiyear prices and delivery schedules.

Stock replacement and industrial-base measures also appear in the program history. FY 2025 supplemental appropriations funded 24 additional Block IA missiles to replace Navy stock. The FY 2026 mandatory plan separately provides for additional Block IA procurement, replacement of long-range air- and missile-defense interceptors, development of a second solid-rocket-motor source, and expanded air-defense and anti-ship missile production capacity. These efforts address inventory replacement and supply capacity alongside the FY 2027 missile, canister, and support requirements.