Standard SM missile series

The series of Standard missiles developed by the United States Navy were an evolutionary replacement for the "Three T's": RIM-2 Terrier, RIM-8 Talos, and RIM-24 Tartar of the 1950s, and continue themselves to evolve; SM-6 is in design.

Basic Standard missiles are antiaircraft weapons, which, depending on model and installation, may have a secondary anti-shipping missile capability. The RIM-161 Standard SM-3 is a ballistic missile defense weapon.

SM-1 missiles were intended to be fired from above-deck trainable rail launchers, rather like gun mounts, as were the Three T's. They came in medium range RIM-66 Standard SM-1 and long range RIM-67 Standard SM-1 versions. After SM-1, however, the missiles, from RIM-156 Standard SM-2, are intended for a vertical launch system.

Also with the SM-2 came the AEGIS battle management system, with shared AN/SPY-2 tracking/midcourse guidance radars and AN/SPG-62 terminal illuminator used by the semi-active radar homing receiver in the missile.

There have been experimental air-launched and land attack versions that have not gone into deployment.