A major U.S. defense contractor in Tucson has been green-lighted to sell one of its missiles to international customers.

The U.S. Department of Defense approved Raytheon’s request to sell its Standard Missile-6 abroad.

The missile is now used on U.S. Navy ships for surface-to-air intercept defense for extended range protection against aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

In a statement, Raytheon said international navies are “seeking the level of sophisticated protection that SM-6 provides.”

Spokesman John Patterson said Raytheon SM-6 experts are spending this week at the Surface Navy Association trade show in Washington, D.C.

Raytheon’s customer base spans 80 countries. Its Tucson location is continuing to expand with incentives provided by the city and Pima County.