The Big Picture: This missile can knock out warheads in space
![](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/MFytvlyYH2aGOPHAqeu0rg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU1MA--/https://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/e2d79e5af2f5a2445ebdd11e536e4399/201714358/sm3fulbleed.jpg)
Rising from a wall of flames, a Raytheon RIM-161 Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) takes flight from the Deveselu missile defense base in Romania. Designed to intercept short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles before the inbound threats re-enter the atmosphere, the SM-3 has been likened to "shooting a bullet with another bullet." The armament is deployed both on land and at sea where it is utilized as part of the Navy's Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense.