Interceptor · Sea
Standard Missile 6 (SM-6)
Extended-range naval air defense missile with additional surface and missile-defense roles.
by RTX · First fielded 2013
- Milestones2
- Operators—
- Components—
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Timeline2
- Initial operating capabilityConfirmed
SM-6 achieves initial operational capability
- Contract awardConfirmed
Five-year multi-year procurement contract (up to $24.4B)
The latest 10 milestones. Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.
In Service
- First fielded
- 2013
Cost to the Government
Missiles · RTX / Raytheon
Standard Missile-6 (SM-6)
A budget-derived Block IA procurement average is shown alongside annual R&D and the new multiyear production agreement.
Derived procurement funding / missile
$6.042M
FY2025 request · March 2024 · Nominal USD; source budget basis
Calculation: $755.2M procurement / 125 missiles. Funding includes missiles and canisters; this is not a recurring flyaway quote.
DoD Comptroller ↗U.S. inventory
Not verified
A current U.S. inventory was not established. Annual procurement, cumulative deliveries and production capacity are not a stockpile count.
Block IA requested missiles
125
FY2025 request · U.S. only; stated source scope
Procurement quantity in the March 2024 budget book; not delivered inventory.
DoD Comptroller ↗Annual RDT&E funding
$468.3M / yr
FY2025 · FY2025 budget book · Nominal USD; source budget basis
Missiles & Munitions 5-17. Annual research, development, test and evaluation funding in the March 2024 budget presentation; FY2024 and FY2025 are request figures. Not a lifetime R&D total or actual expenditure.
DoD Comptroller ↗Development and production cover different variants
The FY2025 procurement request buys Block IA rounds while development funding supports Block IB and other improvements. Annual R&D therefore is not an extra charge on each Block IA round.
Operations & sustainment
Annual operations & support
Not verified
A complete, system-specific annual operating and support cost was not established. Procurement, replacement rounds and contract support are different measures.
Cost over time · 6 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 · FY2025 budget book | Annual SM-6 procurement funding Funding scope includes procurement support; FY2024 and FY2025 are request figures. Do not read changes as standalone hardware-price inflation. | $489.1M | Nominal USD; source budget basis | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2024 · FY2025 budget book | Annual SM-6 procurement funding Funding scope includes procurement support; FY2024 and FY2025 are request figures. Do not read changes as standalone hardware-price inflation. | $1.197B | Nominal USD; source budget basis | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2025 · FY2025 budget book | Annual SM-6 procurement funding Funding scope includes procurement support; FY2024 and FY2025 are request figures. Do not read changes as standalone hardware-price inflation. | $755.2M | Nominal USD; source budget basis | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2023 · FY2025 budget book | Annual RDT&E funding Missiles & Munitions 5-17. Annual research, development, test and evaluation funding in the March 2024 budget presentation; FY2024 and FY2025 are request figures. Not a lifetime R&D total or actual expenditure. | $298.3M / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2024 · FY2025 budget book | Annual RDT&E funding Missiles & Munitions 5-17. Annual research, development, test and evaluation funding in the March 2024 budget presentation; FY2024 and FY2025 are request figures. Not a lifetime R&D total or actual expenditure. | $418.2M / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2025 · FY2025 budget book | Annual RDT&E funding Missiles & Munitions 5-17. Annual research, development, test and evaluation funding in the March 2024 budget presentation; FY2024 and FY2025 are request figures. Not a lifetime R&D total or actual expenditure. | $468.3M / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 1 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
2026-10-01 · Maximum multiyear contract value
U.S. government / Navy → RTX / Raytheon
$24.4B · quantity not established
Five years plus two option years. Announced upper value is not current obligations; quantity not disclosed.
RTX ↗
Connected missiles & systems
Ground launch system and missile
Typhon / Mid-Range Capability
Army MRC combines these missile families with ground launch and control equipment.
U.S. Army ↗Naval launcher and missile
Mk 41 Vertical Launching System →Listed Mk 41 missile family; support depends on launcher configuration and ship combat-system integration.
Lockheed Martin ↗
International buyers
No international purchase documented in this review.
Coverage & open research
- Current U.S. inventory and complete annual operating-and-support costs require additional public evidence.
- Buyer records are selected examples, not a complete global order book.
- The displayed R&D reference is annual funding or a specified multi-year request window, not a verified lifetime total.
- Additional primary-source international purchase and delivery records remain to be reviewed.
- Unit cost (per round)Reported$4.3MEstimate / observation: 2024-05-21 · Then-year $
The War Zone (May 2024), based on Pentagon budget documents of the prior five years, rounded to nearest $10,000: SM-6 $4.27M per round.
Source
Earlier cost observations (2)
- Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) · Unit cost (per round) · $4.3MEstimate / observation: 2020-12-11 · Then-year $ · FY2021
FY2021 Navy budget request average unit price for SM-6 (Block I and Block IA) as reported by The War Zone from official budget documents.
Source - Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) · Unit cost (per round) · $5.5MThen-year $ · 14 units
Army Mid-Range Capability SM-6 Block IA buy, FY 2027 request P-5: $5,497.643K per missile for 14 (FY2026 $5,448.667K for 6). Navy WPN book not machine-fetchable.
Source
| Fiscal year | Appropriation | Request | Enacted | Qty | Budget line | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2027 | RDT&E | $539M | — | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2027 | Procurement | $4.33B | — | 540 | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2027 | Total | $4.87B | — | 540 | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2026 | RDT&E | $413M | $512M | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2026 | Procurement | $850M | $1.41B | 166 | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2026 | Total | $1.26B | $1.92B | 166 | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2025 | RDT&E | — | $288M | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2025 | Procurement | — | $694M | 78 | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2025 | Total | — | $983M | 78 | — | SourceConfirmed |
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.