A Pentagon decision to transition the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA interceptor from development to production is "imminent," according to a Raytheon executive, a milestone that could allow the ballistic missile defense project to tap more than $450 million in production orders that have been on ice pending resolution of technical questions by Defense Department brass about the new interceptor. Mitch Stevison, Raytheon Missile Systems vice president, said numerous analyses directed in support of the milestone for the SM-3 Block IIA...
