(Photos/Raytheon)
By Troy Turner
The Missile Defense Agency on Friday awarded Raytheon a more than $745 million contract for its Standard Missile-3 Block IIA interceptor missile to be supplied to U.S. and Japanese militaries.
Work under the contract will be performed at Raytheon’s facilities in Huntsville and Tucson, Arizona.
Raytheon, which operates under the umbrella of parent company RTX Corporation, in March completed a 26,000-square-foot expansion of its Redstone Raytheon Missile Integration Facility in Huntsville, backed by a $115 million capital investment.
That investment is expected to increase the facility’s integration and delivery capacity by more than 50 percent and grow the company’s footprint in Alabama to more than 2,200 employees.
Since its opening in 2012, the Redstone Raytheon facility has become a cornerstone of the company’s missile production and integration capabilities, including nine variants of the Standard Missile family and other advanced weapon systems.
SM-3 Block IIA interceptor
The SM-3 interceptor is a defensive weapon the U.S. Navy uses to destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
The interceptor uses sheer force, rather than an explosive warhead, to destroy its target. Its “kill vehicle” hits threats with the force of a 10-ton truck traveling 600 miles per hour. This technique, referred to as “hit-to-kill,” has been likened to intercepting a bullet with another bullet, according to company materials.
The interceptor is being carried by U.S. Navy ships deployed off Europe’s coast and is now operational at a land-based site in Romania.
Raytheon, in cooperation with Japan, is developing the next-generation SM-3 Block IIA interceptor.
It has two distinct new features from previous SM-3 models: larger rocket motors that will allow it to defend broader areas from ballistic missile threats, and a larger kinetic warhead.
The interceptor’s kinetic warhead is enhanced, improving the search, discrimination, acquisition and tracking functions, to address advanced and emerging threats, Raytheon reported.
“The Block IIA variant is the centerpiece of the European missile defense system. It will be deployed ashore in Poland to complete Phase 3 of the European Phased Adaptive Approach,” it said.
Working with Japan
The contract announced Friday calls for Raytheon to “manufacture and assemble Standard Missile-3 Block IIA All-Up Rounds for the U.S. government and Japan Ministry of Defense Foreign Military Sales case requirements.”
All-Up Rounds usually refer to providing the missile fully assembled with all of its associated components.
The contract carries an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2031.
The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, is the contracting agency.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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