[5][6] Although primarily designed as an anti-ballistic missile, the SM-3 has also been employed in an anti-satellite capacity against a satellite at the lower end of low Earth orbit.

[8] Initial work was done to adapt SM-3 for land deployment ("Aegis ashore") to especially accommodate the Israelis, but they then chose to pursue their own system, Arrow 3.

A group in the Obama administration envisioned a European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA) and SM-3 was chosen as the main vector of this effort because the competing U.S. THAAD does not have enough range and would have required too many sites in Europe to provide adequate coverage.

The Block IIA is being jointly developed by Raytheon and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries; the latter manages "the third-stage rocket motor and nose cone".

Once the booster burns out, it detaches, and the Aerojet MK 104 solid-fuel dual thrust rocket motor (DTRM) takes over propulsion through the atmosphere.

The ATK MK 136 solid-fueled third-stage rocket motor (TSRM) fires after the second stage burns out, and it takes the missile above the atmosphere (if needed).

This provided empirical evidence that ballistic missile intercepts could in fact be accomplished at sea using interceptors launched from Aegis ships.

"[18] On 4 October 2013, an SM-3 Block IB eliminated the medium-range ballistic missile target at the highest altitude of any test to date.

[22] On 21 June 2017,[23] the second test of USS John Paul Jones, using its onboard Aegis Missile Defense System and launching a Standard Missile-3 Block IIA interceptor, did not intercept its target, after a sailor, acting as tactical datalink controller, mistakenly designated that target as friendly, which caused the SM-3 interceptor to self-destruct, as designed.

[27] On 16 November 2020, an SM-3 Block IIA successfully intercepted a simulated intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) target for the first time; the test was congressionally mandated and originally scheduled for May 2020 but was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

An ICBM-T2 threat-representative target was launched from the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll toward the ocean area northeast of Hawaii.

The USS John Finn (DDG-113) used off-board sensors through the Command and Control Battle Management Communications (C2BMC) network to track it and then launch an interceptor to destroy the threat.

The test demonstrated the SM-3's ability to counter ICBMs and, because of the Aegis radar's limited detection and tracking range relative to the interceptor, showed how the C2BMC network can increase the area that could be defended using engage-on-remote capabilities.

[citation needed] The SM-3 block IB, due in 2010, offers upgrades which include an advanced two-color infrared seeker, and a 10-thruster solid throttling divert and attitude control system (TDACS/SDACS) on the kill vehicle to give it improved capability against maneuvering ballistic missiles or warheads.

[citation needed] SM-3 block II will widen the missile body to 21 in (530 mm) and decrease the size of the maneuvering fins.

[37] In March 2013, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that the development program of the SM-3 block IIB, also known as the "next generation AEGIS missile" (NGAM), was undergoing restructuring.

Under Secretary James N. Miller was quoted saying that "We no longer intend to add them [SM-3 block IIB] to the mix, but we'll continue to have the same number of deployed interceptors in Poland that will provide coverage for all of NATO in Europe", explaining that Poland is scheduled instead for the deployment of "about 24 SM-3 IIA interceptors – same timeline, same footprint of U.S. forces to support that.

"[39] Daniel Nexon connected the backpedaling of the administration on the block IIB development with pre-election promises made by Obama to Dmitry Medvedev.

[42] On 18 September 2009, Russian Prime Minister Putin welcomed Obama's plans for missile defense which may include stationing American Aegis armed warships in the Black Sea.

[53] On February 14, 2008, U.S. officials announced plans to use a modified SM-3 missile launched from a group of three ships in the North Pacific to destroy the failed American satellite USA-193 at an altitude of 130 nautical miles (240 kilometers) shortly before atmospheric reentry.

[59][60] In December 2007, Japan conducted a successful test of an SM-3 block IA aboard JS Kongō against a ballistic missile.

With a coverage radius of 500 km (310 mi), three missile posts could defend all of Japan; launch pads can be disassembled, moved to other locations, and rebuilt in 5–10 days.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, present at the signing in Kraków along with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, stressed that the missile defense program was aimed at deterring threats from Iran, and posed no challenge to Russia.

[74] In 2010/2011 the US government announced plans to station land-based SM-3s (Block IB) in Romania at Deveselu starting in 2015,[75][76] part of phase 2 of EPAA.

Assuming success in that flight testing, then we will have ready the option of upgrading the Romanian site to the SM-3 IIA, either all of the interceptor tubes or we'll have a mix.