The Department of War (DOW) has awarded defense contractor Raytheon a multi-year deal worth up to $6.3 billion to produce ballistic missile interceptors, as the Pentagon seeks to boost weapons production and replenish stockpiles.
The department said in an Oct. 8 statement that Raytheon, part of the RTX Corporation, will be building the Standard Missile-3 Block IB (SM-3 Blk IB) missile-defense interceptor, which is used by the U.S. Navy against short- and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats.
The agreement will last five years with an option to extend for an additional two years, the DOW said.
“Our warfighters must never face a fair fight, and the SM-3 Blk IB has proven its operational superiority to dominate any adversary across the globe,” said Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey….