Standard Missile can easily sink ships, shoot down aircraft, and even destroy ballistic and cruise missiles in mid-air. Standard missiles come in a variety of models, with the most popular one being the RIM-66 Standard. An upgraded version, the RIM-67, features a much longer effective range than the regular one.
Standard missiles were first developed back in the early ’60s with the purpose of replacing some of their less effective counterparts. The RIM-66 Standard missiles are the latest version of these ballistic weapons, and are used by most of the United States, and allied European countries.
The Aegis Combat System (AWS)
The Aegis Combat System is an American naval weapon system fitted on most of the Navy’s ships. It’s produced and distributed by Lockheed Martin. This system uses advanced digital radar systems to track down and hit long-range threats. The U.S. Military has authorized the use of this technology to various other allied countries.
The name "Aegis" comes from Greek mythology and represents a protective shield, similar to the one used by Zeus. The Aegis Combat System locates aerial hostile units and helps track and destroy them before they cause harm. It was originally developed in the ‘60s, but with recent technological advances, it has become far more effective.
The Mark 60 CAPTOR
The United States chooses to only use one type of anti-submarine missile, the Mark 60 CAPTOR. This deep-sea missile holds a Mark 46 torpedo inside its aluminum shell. It weighs roughly 2,350 pounds and costs between $113,000 and $377,000. Once one of them is anchored to the ocean floor, it can usually wait there for months.
Once a Mark 60 CAPTOR missile is shot at its target, it fires the Mark 46 torpedo, which uses a sound propagation system to passively identify and differentiate between hostile and friendly units. These torpedoes are highly effective underwater weapons, and can destroy almost any ship or submarine on impact.
The Tomahawk Cruise Missile
Tomahawk Cruise missiles weigh almost 3,000 pounds and have a reach of up to 1,550 miles. They are mostly used against surface targets and can reach a speed of 550 miles per hour. These missiles are potent and lethal, which is why the U.S. Military uses them often. Tomahawk Cruise missiles can carry various different warheads, including nuclear ones.
Their immense range and highly accurate GPS systems make them an ideal Navy weapon. Despite the Navy’s frequent use of Tomahawks, they have a great track record of almost unintended zero casualties, thanks to their ever-decreasing margin of error.
Advanced Gun System (AGS)
The newly designed Advanced Gun System is a staple of the Navy’s USS Zumwalt vessel, one of its newest and most advanced warships to date. It can host weapons that fire 155-millimeter bullets, which can penetrate through just about any armor. It has a much longer range than the Standard Gun, reaching distances up to three times further.
The Advanced Gun System fires rocket-powered, computer-guided shells that destroy anything in their path. Combining the U.S. Navy’s next-generation of destroyers, the USS Zumwalt, and the Advanced Gun System, helped America’s military create an extremely reliable and formidable defense system that deters most of its enemies.