Munitions

Standard Missile-2 (SM-2)

Also known as
  • SM-2
  • SM-2MR
  • RIM-66M
  • RIM-156A
  • Standard Missile 2
  • Standard Missile-2 Medium Range
  • Standard Missile-2 Extended Range
  • SM-2ER
  • SM-2 Block IV

The Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) is a Raytheon-built shipboard surface-to-air missile family used by U.S. and allied navies for fleet area air defense and ship self-defense. Aegis ships launch SM-2 from vertical launch systems, guide it by inertial navigation and mid-course commands, and use semi-active radar or infrared terminal homing in later medium-range blocks. U.S. Navy reporting documents USS Carney firing an SM-2 in October 2023 during Red Sea defense operations against Houthi missiles and drones.

Standard Missile-2 (SM-2), Shipboard surface-to-air missile family, Munitions
Image source: USS Vincennes launching SM-2MR in 1987

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
United States
Built by
Raytheon
Type
Shipboard surface-to-air missile family
Service note
1970s-present

Specifications

Role
Fleet area air defense and ship self-defense
Medium-range blocks
SM-2 Block III, IIIA and IIIB
Extended-range block
SM-2 Block IV
Medium-range reach
Up to 90 nautical miles
Block IV reach
100-200 nautical miles
Engagement altitude
Up to 65,000 feet
Launchers
Mk 41 Vertical Launcher System; Mk 57 Advanced VLS
Guidance
Inertial navigation with mid-course command updates and semi-active radar or infrared terminal homing
Propulsion
Solid-fuel rocket motor with tail controls; Block IV adds a booster stage
Warhead
Blast-fragmentation warhead with radar and contact fuzing
Dimensions
SM-2MR: 15 ft 6 in long, 13.5 in diameter, 3 ft 6 in wingspan; Block IV: 21 ft 6 in long with booster
Variants

The Navy fact file separates medium-range SM-2 Block III/IIIA/IIIB missiles from the longer, boosted Block IV extended-range missile; Raytheon's current product page describes the family as using radar-seeker modes, tail controls, solid-rocket propulsion, and updated warhead or targeting features across variants.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Block IIIMedium-range Aegis variant

Listed by the Navy among SM-2 medium-range blocks in U.S. Navy service.

Sources: Standard Missile

Block IIIAMedium-range Aegis variant

Grouped by the Navy with Block III and IIIB in the medium-range SM-2 characteristics table.

Sources: Standard Missile

Block IIIBMedium-range variant with infrared terminal option

The Navy identifies infrared terminal homing in Block IIIB and lists semi-active radar homing as the baseline guidance mode.

Sources: Standard Missile

Block IVExtended-range variant

The Navy lists Block IV as a two-stage extended-range SM-2 variant deployed in 1998 with a longer booster section.

Sources: Standard Missile

Carrier Platforms

The Navy fact file places SM-2 aboard AEGIS cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and says it launches from the Mark 41 VLS.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, Guided-missile destroyer, Naval SystemsArleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyerGuided-missile destroyer

The Navy fact file identifies SM-2 as an AEGIS weapon aboard Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and says it is launched from the Mark 41 VLS.

Sources: Standard Missile

Combat System Integration

SM-2 is an Aegis weapon guided by the ship combat system and launched from vertical-launch cells on compatible surface combatants.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
Aegis Combat System, Shipboard integrated combat system, Naval SystemsAegis Combat SystemShipboard integrated combat system

The Navy fact file says SM-2 is an integral part of the Aegis Weapon System aboard Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, with Aegis providing mid-course command guidance before terminal homing.

Sources: Standard Missile

Timeline

Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Key Events

  1. SM-2MR enters service

    The U.S. Navy fact file lists 1981 as the deployment date for the SM-2 medium-range missile.

    Sources: Standard Missile

  2. Block IV extended-range variant deployed

    The Navy lists SM-2 Block IV as an extended-range fleet and area-air-defense variant with two-stage solid-fuel propulsion.

    Sources: Standard Missile

  3. Production line restart announced

    Raytheon announced an SM-2 production restart for allied demand, with new Block IIIA and IIIB deliveries planned to begin in 2020.

    Sources: Global demand sparks Standard Missile-2 production restart

  4. First restarted-production missile tested

    Raytheon and the U.S. Navy flight-tested the first SM-2 from the restarted production line.

    Sources: Raytheon US Navy test first SM-2 from restarted production line

  5. USS Carney fires SM-2 in the Red Sea

    The Navy says USS Carney fired an SM-2 to defeat a combination of Houthi missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in the Red Sea.

    Sources: USS Carney a Destroyer at War

Media

Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Videos

Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Images

Standard Missile-2 (SM-2), Shipboard surface-to-air missile family, Munitions - view 1
Source: USS Fitzgerald launches SM-2 near Okinawa
Standard Missile-2 (SM-2), Shipboard surface-to-air missile family, Munitions - view 2
Source: USS The Sullivans fires SM-2 during Aegis live-fire test
Related Weapon Systems
Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, Ship self-defense missile, MunitionsMunitionsEvolved Sea Sparrow MissileShip self-defense missileThe Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile is a NATO-cooperative ship self-defense missile family built by Raytheon for surface combatants and carrier self-defense. U.S. Navy, RTX, and NATO Seasparrow sources describe it as a medium-range guided weapon for anti-ship cruise missiles, aircraft, drones, and maneuvering surface threats; documented combat use includes USS Mason's 2016 Yemen self-defense engagement and Red Sea crisis firings against Houthi threats.
Anti-aircraft missiles, Ship-launched surface-to-air missile, MunitionsMunitionsAnti-aircraft missilesShip-launched surface-to-air missileShip-launched surface-to-air missiles documented in the Choe Hyon destroyer's air-defense fit. CSIS identifies the destroyer's air-defense system as Russian Pantsir-M and reports anti-aircraft missile launches during the 28 April 2025 test activity, while Naval News separately notes an unspecified forward VLS-launched SAM and a Pantsir-M-style close-in weapon system with short-range missiles. The exact North Korean missile designation remains publicly unconfirmed.
20mm Mk 15 Phalanx, Shipboard close-in weapon system, Naval SystemsNaval Systems20mm Mk 15 PhalanxShipboard close-in weapon systemThe 20mm Mk 15 Phalanx is a U.S.-origin shipboard close-in weapon system built around an M61A1 Gatling gun, self-contained search and track radar, and automated fire-control functions. Navy and manufacturer sources describe it as the U.S. Navy's inner-layer defense against anti-ship missiles, aircraft, unmanned aircraft, and small surface threats; direct combat-use evidence includes USS Jarrett's Gulf War Phalanx firing during the Iraqi Silkworm engagement near USS Missouri and USS Gravely's Red Sea interception of a Houthi anti-ship missile.

Sources

Standard MissilePublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports SM-2 background, Aegis shipboard launch context, service history, variants, guidance, and technical specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-03SM-2 MissilePublisher: Raytheon | Note: Supports manufacturer context, U.S. Navy role, launchers, range, altitude, allied customer context, restarted-production track record, and direct SM-2 use in the 2023 Red Sea Crisis. | Accessed: 2026-07-03USS Carney a Destroyer at WarPublisher: U.S. Navy | Note: Supports direct SM-2 use by USS Carney against Houthi missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in the 2023 Red Sea Crisis. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Global demand sparks Standard Missile-2 production restartPublisher: Raytheon | Note: Supports the 2017 production restart, planned 2020 Block IIIA and IIIB deliveries, and international customer context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Raytheon US Navy test first SM-2 from restarted production linePublisher: Raytheon | Note: Supports the 2020 restarted-production flight test and live-fire track-record context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03USS Vincennes launching SM-2MR in 1987Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain licensing for the SM-2MR launch image. | Accessed: 2026-07-03USS Fitzgerald launches SM-2 near OkinawaPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain licensing for the SM-2 launch image. | Accessed: 2026-07-03USS The Sullivans fires SM-2 during Aegis live-fire testPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and public-domain licensing for the SM-2 live-fire image. | Accessed: 2026-07-03