SM-3 Block IIA Deal

The Missile Defense Agency has awarded a $925 million sole-source contract to Raytheon Missile Systems Co. to continue work on the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA system.

According to a Pentagon statement issued late this afternoon:

Under this modification, the contractor will perform Standard Missile-3 Block IIA all up round development and integration through critical design review and flight test support.  The work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz.  The performance period is from July 27, 2012, through Feb. 28, 2017.  Fiscal 2012 Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funds will be used to incrementally fund this effort.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Va., is the contracting activity.

The Block IIA missile is a co-development effort between the United States and Japan, a Raytheon statement issued not long after the Defense Department's announcement reads, adding:

"As the threat continues to evolve, so does our ability to counter that threat," said Dr. Taylor W. Lawrence, president of Raytheon Missile Systems. "We're honored to work with our Japanese allies to bring this next-generation defensive capability to the world."

Used by the U.S. and Japanese navies to destroy short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles, the SM-3 is the only defensive weapon of its kind. The SM-3 Block IIA will have a 21-inch 2nd and 3rd stage rocket motor and a larger, more capable kinetic warhead.

On track for a 2018 deployment date, the missile is the third evolution of the SM-3 family of missiles and builds on the successful legacy of the first two variants: SM-3 Block IA and SM-3 Block IB. The SM-3 program has achieved 21 successful intercepts.

"The SM-3 IIA's larger rocket motors will allow for a greater defended area, which is an important factor when it comes to protecting both the U.S. and our NATO allies," said Wes Kremer, vice president of the Air and Missile Defense Systems product line for Raytheon Missile Systems.

SM-3 Block IA missiles are currently employed on Japan's Kongo-class ships.