Article Posted on : - Jan 12, 2012

Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile.

TUCSON (BNS): Raytheon has received two contracts totaling $212.8 million for the production of the Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM) from US Navy.

The project has also an option for $33 million in additional work.

The first contract from the US Navy NATO Seasparrow Project Office (NSPO), as previously announced by the Department of Defence, is for the production of ESSMs through fiscal year 2014 and contains the option for further production. The agreement also provides NSPO consortium-member navies with miscellaneous spare parts, containers and test equipment.

The second contract is a two-year direct commercial sale. Raytheon will provide Mitsubishi Electric Corporation of Japan the components and assemblies necessary to manufacture and deliver ESSM weapons to the Japanese Ministry of Defence.

"ESSM is the foundation of our allies' anti-ship missile defence," Ed Roesly, ESSM programme director for Raytheon Missile Systems, said.

ESSM provides effective defence against surface and low-velocity air threats, and is integrated with seven combat systems and four launching systems.