Raytheon has received a $745 million contract to produce and sustain additional SM-3 Block IIA interceptors as the United States expands production capacity for ballistic missile defence weapons.
Raytheon has received a $745 million contract, approximately £553 million, from the US Missile Defense Agency for the production and sustainment of Standard Missile-3 Block IIA ballistic missile interceptors, according to the company.
The contract announced by RTX covers the SM-3 Block IIA, a missile developed cooperatively by Raytheon and Japanese industry. The interceptor is designed to defend against short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats and forms part of the wider Standard Missile family used for naval air and missile defence.
Compared with earlier SM-3 variants, the Block IIA incorporates a larger rocket motor and an enhanced kinetic warhead. Rather than relying on an explosive warhead to destroy an incoming ballistic missile, the interceptor’s kinetic element is intended to defeat the target through a high-speed collision. Raytheon says the larger design provides increased reach and allows a wider geographical area to be defended against ballistic missile threats.
Barbara Borgonovi, president of Naval Power at Raytheon, said, as quoted in a news update: “SM-3 Block IIA is a cornerstone of regional defense, giving the U.S. and allied partners greater reach, accuracy and confidence against evolving threats.”
She added: “We’ve made sustained investments in our production lines and processes, which are allowing us to increase capacity and deliver these critical munitions to our customers more quickly.”
The award comes as RTX expands manufacturing capacity across the Standard Missile programme. The company recently invested $115 million in its missile integration facility in Alabama, saying the expansion will increase integration and delivery capacity at the site by more than 50%.
Work under the latest contract will take place at Raytheon facilities in Tucson, Arizona, and Huntsville, Alabama. RTX said it is also recruiting additional staff to support the programme as production capacity increases.
The conflict with Iran was eye opening for me. Whilst the US has an impressive volume of kit, it’s ability to actually fight a war has been shown to be extremely limited by its supply of ammo. Not sure how they managed to get themselves into that issue.