Which missile system is commonly used for air defense on ships?

Which missile system is commonly used for air defense on ships?

• A. SM-2/SM-6 (Standard Missile family)
• B. Harpoon
• C. Exocet
• D. Tomahawk

Answer: (A)

Ship air-defense relies on missiles designed to intercept aerial threats at range, guided by the ship’s radar and fire-control systems to defend a fleet from aircraft, missiles, and drones. The Standard Missile family, particularly SM-2 and SM-6, is built for precisely this role on ships. These missiles are launched from ship-based weapons systems (often a vertical launch system) and equipped to engage targets in the air through guidance that can include ship illumination and autonomous terminal seekers, giving reliable interception across medium to long ranges.

Harpoon and Exocet are specialized anti-ship missiles meant to strike surface ships, not to defend the vessel against airborne threats. Tomahawk is a long-range land-attack cruise missile used against targets ashore rather than to defend the ship from air or missile danger. Because of that specialized purpose, they don’t serve as the primary shipboard air-defense solution the way the SM-2/SM-6 family does. That’s why the Standard Missile family is the best answer for air defense on ships.