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MAY 30, 2002, 12:15 EDT
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Raytheon has received a $165 million contract for continued production of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), with five additional annual options that bring the potential contract value to nearly $2 billion over the next eight years. The award was made by the U.S. Air Force Air Armament Center Counterair Joint Systems Program Office (JSPO), Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.
"I am pleased to announce this important contract award to Raytheon," said Col. Jim Knox, the Counterair JSPO acting program director. "This award marks the initial production of AMRAAM P3I Phase 3, the latest version of AMRAAM in our evolutionary plans to deliver the most capable and affordable counterair weapon to our pilots."
The initial award is a $165 million firm-fixed price contract for Lot 16 (16th annual) production of 387 AMRAAMs, supporting missile deliveries, program engineering and logistic services through August 2004. Missiles will be produced for the U.S. Air Force and Navy and foreign military sales customers, Saudi Arabia and Japan.
The contract provides five additional years of fixed price options (Lots 17-21), which will extend the deliveries and engineering services through 2010. The award also covers associated warranties, software upgrades, instrumentation units and spares. More than 11,000 missiles have been produced for U.S. and international customers. Lot 16 through 21 production represents a potential quantity of up to another 5,000 missiles.
"With options, this contract provides for continued AMRAAM production for the next eight years, generating sales approaching $2 billion," said Charles D. Anderson, vice president of the company's Air-to-Air product line. "This is strong testimony of our customer's continuing confidence in our ability to produce this key weapon system. We have met our commitments in the AMRAAM P3I Phase 3 development program, and we will follow-through on our commitments to produce and deliver this next generation capability to our warfighters."
The AMRAAM P3I Phase 3 production configuration incorporates new commercial processors, rehosted software and enhancements in the radar signal processing chain. These changes enable improved resistance to electronic attack.
Work will be performed at Raytheon's facilities in Tucson, Ariz., and Andover, Mass. Final assembly and delivery will occur in Tucson.
AMRAAM is a software-driven, radar-guided missile that gives pilots the ability to "launch and leave" and to engage multiple targets during a single engagement.
AMRAAM is fully operational on the F-15, F-16, F/A-18, the German F4F, the UK Sea Harrier, Swedish JA-37 Viggen and the JAS-39 Gripen. It is currently being integrated on the F-22, Eurofighter, Harrier II Plus, Tornado and the Joint Strike Fighter. AMRAAM has also been adapted to a surface-to-air role for air defense and is operational in Norway as the Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) and has been demonstrated in a HAWK- AMRAAM system and on a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV)- based system called HUMRAAM.
The United States Marine Corps awarded a contract last year to Raytheon for their version of HUMRAAM, called Complimentary Low Altitude Weapons System (CLAWS), which will be introduced into operational service by 2005. The U.S. Army is also generating a requirement for a HUMRAAM system, called Surface Launch AMRAAM (SLAMRAAM). The surface-launched AMRAAM market potential is estimated at more than 5,000 missiles over the next 10 years.
Military & Aerospace Electronics
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