The Pentagon has ordered 47 additional Standard Missile-3 Block IB guided missile interceptors from Raytheon, which is 90 percent of the 52-per-year production cap set by Defense Department executives and two fewer than the 49 Congress provided funding for in fiscal year 2016. On Aug. 2, the Missile Defense Agency exercised a $523.9 million contract option to procure, test and deliver the SM-3 Block IB missiles -- the newest and most advanced Aegis interceptor -- for operational testing and deployment...
