Raytheon awarded $77 million contract to prepare for ESSM Block II LRIP

The Pentagon last week awarded Raytheon a $77 million contract to prepare the Evolved Seasparrow Missile Block II program to transition into low-rate initial production.

ESSM provides "crucial defense battlespace and firepower against the fast, low-altitude, highly maneuverable Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM) threat," according to Navy budget justification documents. A NATO-led consortium of a dozen countries is developing the weapon.

Block I is also being sold through foreign military sales to Japan, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates. Last year, Saudi Arabia was approved to purchase Block I to arm its four multimission surface combatants.

Brian Burton, senior program director for intermediate area defense systems at Raytheon, told Inside the Navy in a May 23 interview the company anticipates receiving a Block II LRIP contract later this year.

Block II, unlike its predecessor, has an active seeker and uses a dual-mode capability that allows for an active and semi-active X-band radar.

Burton also said the company will conduct testing later this year to demonstrate the weapon's active seeker and dual-mode capability.