Raytheon has awarded Voyager Technologies a contract to advance propulsion technologies for the Standard Missile-3 interceptor family.
Raytheon has awarded Voyager Technologies a contract to advance propulsion technologies for the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) interceptor family.
Under the agreement, Voyager will supply its solid controllable throttleable propulsion technology and divert, attitude, and control systems (DACS), which enable precision maneuvering during the interceptor’s exo-atmospheric midcourse flight.
DACS provides maneuvering and stabilization for missiles, interceptors, and space payloads. Its multi-axis maneuvering capability provides divert thrust, as well as roll, pitch, and yaw control needed to guide the SM-3’s kinetic warhead toward an incoming target.
Voyager said it has been developing the DACS technology for more than 10 years, with the technology serving as the baseline for multiple next-generation weapon systems.
“Our propulsion technology adds to the nation’s missile defense architecture, enabling higher precision, greater reliability and safer operation than legacy systems,” said Matt Magaña, president of Space, Defense & National Security at Voyager.
“This contract reflects both the demand signal for missile defense and our responsibility to deliver a high-performance, low-cost system to meet the required scale.”
SM-3 Missile
SM-3 missiles are an exo-atmospheric, hit-to-kill interceptor used by the US Navy and allies to destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles in space.
The SM-3 family includes variants such as the Block IB and Block IIA that can be launched from Aegis-equipped naval ships and land-based Aegis Ashore facilities.
Block IB features an enhanced two-color infrared seeker and upgraded steering and propulsion capabilities. It became operational in 2014 and made its combat debut in 2024.
Meanwhile, the next-generation Block IIA, which Raytheon developed with Japan, has larger rocket motors and a larger kinetic warhead to defend broader areas and address sophisticated ballistic missile threats.
It is set to be the “centerpiece of the European missile defense system,” according to Raytheon.
