Standard Missile projects.

Christopher Wang said:
Based on available specifications data of boosterless Standard missile variants such as the RIM-66 Standard MR, AGM-78 STARM, AIM-97 Seekbat, and RGM-165 LASM, an air-launched boosterless variant of the RIM-174 ERAM / SM-6 could weight in the range of 600-kg / 1300-lb to 620-kg / 1370-lb and with a length of 4.47-m / 14-ft 8-in to 4.72-m / 15-ft 6-in.
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The Navy gives an actual weight for SM-2 MR Block IIIB as 1558 lbs (706 kg). That 1370-lb weight is for SM1 MR which is shorter by about 10 inches. Notably, the weight gain to SM2 MR is greater in percentage terms than the length gain, so SM2 got denser as well as longer. Some of that may be because the length gain is all in the straight body, not the tapered nose, but it still looks like the new propellants are noticeably denser.

And just to complicate things, the weight for SM-6 is generally quoted in official sources as "roughly" 3300 lbs. SM-2 Block IV is 3225 lbs, so that's probably the lower bound. The Mk 72 booster is somewhere around 1500 to 1600 lbs (sources vary), which leaves the upper stage at more like 1650-1700 lbs. Thing is, SM-6 is bumping up against the max length in a Mk 41 VLS, so unless it got MUCH denser (again), some of these official numbers are bogus.

Still, the main takeaway is that the likely weight of an SM-6 upper stage and derived AAM are probably more like 1600 lbs than 1300.
 
Jimmo952 said:
Raytheon is increasing production. They are working to get to a build rate of 300 per year for SM-6.
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Inside the Navy's $2B plan to surge solid-rocket motor production and revitalize a historic arsenal​

"Due to a shortage of private-sector producers, Indian Head’s first objective is surging solid-rocket motor production to help industry meet the growing demand for munitions like the Standard Missile family."

| InsideDefense.com

insidedefense.com insidedefense.com
 
In regards to an air-launched SM-6 aside from the USN I can also see the RAAF using it as they have Super Hornets too.
 

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