Raytheon Co. in Tucson, AZ has been awarded a $358 million, firm-fixed-price contract for 2021-2023 production of Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 missiles. The contract, which combines purchases by the U.S. Navy and the governments of Canada (see the figure, in which a block 1 ESSM missile is prepared for aircraft retrofit at the Missile Maintenance Facility in Bedford, Canada), Australia, Greece, Germany, Norway, Turkey, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark under NATO’s Sea Sparrow Consortium, could grow with options.
NATO’s Sea Sparrow Consortium, which started in 1968, provides member navies with self-defense capabilities against the latest threats. An ESSM Block 2 missile completed a successful flight test in July at Point Mugu, CA, intercepting a BQM-74E aerial target as reported by the U.S. Navy. Compared to ESSM Block 1 missiles, Block 2 systems are more sophisticated, with both semi-active and active guidance systems to respond to a wider range of anticipated threats.