The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has awarded Raytheon [RTN] a $241-million contract modification for the continued design and development of the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA, the company said yesterday.
The Standard Missile is a central component of sea-based missile defense carried out aboard Ticonderoga-class (CG-47) cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) destroyers equipped with the Lockheed Martin [LMT]-built Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.
The sea-based system is designed to defend against short-and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats, and has been among the most successful programs in the MDA.
The SM-3 Block IIA is a co-development effort between the U.S. and Japanese governments.
Raytheon’s vice president for air and missile defense systems, Wes Kremer, said the Block IIA is on target for deployment in 2018.
The sea-based system hit a snag on Sept. 1 when the first test of the latest SM-3 missile, the Block 1B, did not hit its target over the Pacific Ocean (Defense Daily, Sept. 1). The MDA is investigating that test.