Raytheon Missile Systems has received a $66.4 million modification to an existing contract for the Standard Missile-3 Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense program for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.

The modification will provide for engineering work, support services and analysis of the SM-3 Block IIA missile and BMD 5.1 flight testing and certification. The work will be conducted in Tuscon, Ariz., and will bring the total contract cost to $2.07 billion.

The modification has an expected completion date of Sep. 30, 2018.

The SM-3 Block IIA ballistic defense missile is a land-based transfer of the existing Aegis BMD naval system deployed by the U.S. and Japan. It is designed to intercept short and intermediate-range ballistic missiles with an attendant anti-satellite capability, as demonstrated in the destruction of a failing U.S. spy satellite in 2008.

The program is currently under development at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. The SM-3 series can based on land and sea, and uses its own kinetic energy, or "hit-to-kill," rather than explosive warheads.

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Lockheed receives $161.4M ATACMS missile life-extension contract
Washington (UPI) Aug 3, 2017
Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control has been awarded a $161.4 million contract for the production of launch assemblies for the Army Tactical Missile System surface-to-surface missile, the Department of Defense announced on Wednesday. The contract is part of the Service Life Extension Program for aging components of the missile system. Work will be conducted at sites across the U.S. ... read more

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