The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) plans to hold a limited competition for the Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIB’s product development and initial production phase, according to a recent notice posted on Federal Business Opportunities (FBO).
Boeing [BA], Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Raytheon [RTN] are the initial participants in the competition, which MDA said is limited to prime contractors. Other potential offerors need to inform MDA by Dec. 1 with their intent to propose, plus documentation demonstrating prime contractor experience in designing, developing and manufacturing state-of-the-art ballistic missile defense missiles, experience in land and/or sea-based missile system integration and demonstrated missile production and sustainment capability.
MDA anticipates a final request for proposal (RFP) to be issued in the third quarter of fiscal year 2014 with a contract award in the second quarter of FY ’15. MDA plans to award a contract to only United States-owned firms.
Representatives from Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon said they would bid on the program’s product development and initial development phase. Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Lynn Fisher said in an email the company has the expertise to affordably deliver a new interceptor that addresses emerging ballistic missile threats and it will leverage its extensive interceptor development expertise as well as its Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) mission and weapon systems understanding. Fisher also said Lockheed Martin is confident it can meet the 2022 deadline for fielding SM-3 Block IIB.
Boeing spokesman Scott Day said recently in an email the company will offer and innovative, affordable and low-risk design and it is committed to working with its customer to meet the 2022 deadline. Raytheon spokeswoman Heather Uberuaga said the company also intends to bid on the program.
“We are confident we can meet the fielding deadline because our current SM-3 development programs are on time and on budget,” Uberuaga said.
Emails to MDA for comment were not returned by press time.
MDA said in its FBO notice the goal of the SM-3 Block IIB program is to develop an operational, hit-to-kill missile fielded in the 2022 timeframe to counter first-generation Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) targeted at the United States early in their flight. SM-3 Block IIB will also be integrated into the Aegis Weapon System using Aegis BMD 5.1 and the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System as a point of departure.