Raytheon developing upgraded SM-2 exclusively for United States

Raytheon received a request for proposals this week to develop the Standard Missile-2 IIIC interceptor, which it will sell exclusively to the United States, according to a company official.

The IIIC will have an active front end seeker capability, in addition to the semi-active seeker that was on its predecessors, Ivonne May, SM-2 director at Raytheon, told Inside the Navy this week. The company expects to receive a Navy contract this summer.

"The intent is to start [developing the missile] this year, and it will be an accelerated acquisition," she said. "The Navy's plan is to have a missile in three years."

Separately, Raytheon was awarded a $617 million contract in June to restart production of SM-2 IIIA and IIIB. Those missiles will be sold as foreign military sales to Japan, Australia, the Netherlands and South Korea, according to a Defense Department statement. If all options are exercised, the contract is valued at $652 million.

May also said Raytheon is in talks for a future deal to sell another batch of missiles to those same countries, as well as Denmark.