Raytheon awarded contract action for SM-3 Block IBs
Raytheon has been awarded an undefinitised contract action for Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IBs by the US Missile Defense Agency, the company announced on 4 May.
The contract action for a fiscal 2015 contract valued at $559.2 million is for SM-3 Block IBs, which are guided missiles used by the US Navy for regional defence against short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats.
Under the contract action, Raytheon will deliver an initial quantity of 44 SM-3 Block IB all-up rounds and provide the work required to produce and deliver the third stage rocket motor reliability growth and design enhancements. The US government has expressed its intent to purchase up to 52 additional missiles.
The SM-3 Block IB was deployed at sea for the first time in 2014 and is on track for land-based deployment in Romania in 2015. This is in line with the second phase of the US Phased Adaptive Approach for missile defence in Europe. Over 200 SM-3s have been delivered to the US and Japan so far. SM-3 Block IIA is also on track for deployment at sea and ashore in 2018 in Poland.
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