The U.S. Navy has authorized the use of long-range multi-role SM-6 missiles by more ships in the fleet equipped with the Aegis Combat Weapons System.

Raytheon, the missile's manufacturer, said the authorization affects more than 35 ships with the Aegis baseline 5.3 and 3.A.0 system series.

"SM-6 is the longest range integrated air and missile defense interceptor deployed, and its multi-role capabilities are unprecedented," said Mike Campisi, Raytheon's Standard Missile-6 senior program director. "Its use is transforming how we define fleet defense."

The SM-6 is a surface-to-air supersonic missile. It is designed to defeat manned and unmanned aerial vehicles, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and anti-ship cruise missiles in flight. It features active and semi-active guidance, advanced fuzing techniques and signal processing and guidance control capabilities.

Raytheon assembles the weapon at its facility at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala.

Details on any ramp up in production of the missiles were not disclosed by the company.

Aegis is a naval weapons system that integrates computer and radar technology to track and guide weapons to targets.