Navy awards over-the-horizon missile contract to Raytheon

By Lee Hudson / May 31, 2018 at 5:23 PM

Fifteen months after the Navy released the request for proposals for the over-the-horizon missile that will be used on the Littoral Combat Ship and guided missile frigate replacement, the service has awarded a $14.8 million contract to Raytheon.

A Raytheon-Kongsberg team was the only confirmed competitor for the OTH competition, pitching the Naval Strike Missile. This contract will manufacture and deliver over-the-horizon weapon systems, which consist of encanistered missiles loaded into launching mechanisms and a single fire control suite.

The service is requesting $18 million in fiscal year 2019 for eight LCS over-the-horizon missiles. The Navy anticipates purchasing 64 missiles over the future years defense program for $147 million. The contract includes options that if exercised would bring a cumulative value of $847 million.

The missile will give both the LCS and FFG(X) long-range, anti-surface offensive capability against other surface combatants. An OTH missile system is composed of missiles and the launch system. The Navy anticipates installing OTH on small surface combatants beginning in FY-21.

Three months after the Navy released the RFP for the OTH competition, Boeing announced it would not compete because the service's requirement was too modest. It did not include requirements like a data link and an all-weather capability, both of which are under development for the advanced Harpoon missile, Boeing said in May 2017.

Lockheed Martin also bowed out of the competition, claiming requirements were being tailored to a specific vendor. The company planned to offer a surface-launched version of the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile.

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