HMAS Sydney Firing Standard Missile 6 During Pacific Dragon 2024

12 Agustus 2024

HMAS Sydney firing SM 6 long range surface to air missile (photos: Aus DoD)

Navy conducts firing of Standard Missile 6 as part of Government push to provide ADF with enhanced capabilities

HMAS Sydney has conducted a successful firing of a Standard Missile 6, representing a step-change in the lethality, air and missile defence, and long-range strike capability of Navy’s surface combatant fleet.

The Standard Missile 6 will be progressively deployed across Navy’s Hobart class destroyers and, in the future, the Hunter class frigates.

This is another significant milestone in enhancing the lethality of Navy’s surface combatant fleet, consistent with the Albanese Government’s National Defence Strategy and the Independent Analysis into Navy's Surface Combatant Fleet.

In response to Australia’s challenging strategic circumstances, the Albanese Government is enhancing deterrence by rapidly boosting the Navy’s long-range strike capabilities and providing greater capacity to strike maritime, land and air targets at longer distances.

The addition of the Standard Missile 6 augments integrated air and missile defence capable platforms. Australia has three guided missile destroyers (DDG) in service and will add the Aegis Baseline 9 combat system which will provide the ability to counter airborne threats, including ballistic missiles.

The ADF is also establishing the underpinning architecture to connect active missile defence systems through the development of the Joint Air Battle Management System which provides the foundation for further capabilities to be added over time.

The firing of Standard Missile 6 was conducted during Exercise Pacific Dragon 2024, in vicinity of Hawaii, and follows HMAS Sydney’s successful first-of-class firing of a Naval Strike Missile during Exercise RIMPAC 2024 in July. The Standard Missile 6 complements the Standard Missile 2 already in service. 

Before returning to Australia later this year, HMAS Sydney will also conduct a Regional Presence Deployment.

(Aus DoD)