US Navy orders full-rate production support for Evolved Seasparrow Block 2
ESSM launch from a USN vessel. (Photo: Raytheon)
Raytheon has received a $55.47 million contract modification (plus options worth up to $22.76 million) from Naval Sea Systems Command to support FY2021-FY2023 Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 full-rate production requirements for the USN and allied navies, the DoD announced on 30 September.
‘This contract combines purchases for the US Navy and the governments of Canada, Australia, Greece, Germany, Norway, Turkey, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark under the NATO Seasparrow Consortium,’ the DoD noted.
Work will be completed by March 2025 at sites in Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey and the US.
The ESSM entered service in 2004. Block 2 anti-air missiles include a new guidance system with a dual-mode active and semi-active radar.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Canada’s selection of TKMS for its new patrol submarines reflects rising Arctic competition
The decision points to deepening NATO cooperation and mounting competition in the Arctic and North Atlantic, as Canada opts for a European-designed solution despite interest from South Korea.
-
US Navy’s MUSV programme could lay the USV procurement blueprint for NATO allies
The programme’s structure as a marketplace will allow multiple companies to compete for ongoing procurements; an approach which could be replicated across the Atlantic.
-
UK Defence Investment Plan: What does it mean for the country’s naval forces?
Investment in nuclear submarines, autonomous systems and stronger defensive capabilities for existing vessels show a clear strategic shift in Royal Navy priorities.
-
UK Royal Navy shifts focus from warships to system-led warfare
With a revised Defence Investment Plan on the way ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit on 7-8 July, the UK government has begun to reveal more details of how its future naval fleet could look.