The US Missile Defense Agency has awarded Raytheon a $745.4-million contract to manufacture and assemble Standard Missile-3 Block IIA missiles for the US and Japan.
The US Missile Defense Agency has awarded Raytheon a $745.4-million contract to manufacture and assemble Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missiles for the US and Japan.
Under the noncompetitive, undefinitized contract, Raytheon will perform the work in Tucson, Arizona, and Huntsville, Alabama.
The contract has an estimated completion date of February 28, 2031.
Ballistic Missile Defense
The SM-3 is a hit-to-kill interceptor designed to destroy ballistic missile threats above the atmosphere during the midcourse phase of flight.
SM-3 missiles can be launched from land-based Aegis Ashore sites and Mk 41 vertical launching system cells aboard Aegis-equipped warships.
These include the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s two Aegis System Equipped Vessels, which are scheduled to enter service in 2027 and 2028.
Among the missile’s variants is the next-generation Block IIA, which was jointly developed by the US and Japan with industry partners including Raytheon and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Block IIA features larger rocket motors and a larger kinetic warhead to defend broader areas and address sophisticated ballistic missile threats.
