Boeing Defense, Space & Security reported $3.1 billion worth of new orders from the U.S. Navy for missile-based weapons systems, to be supplied for U.S. foreign military sales. About $2.6 billion concerns new contracts, while the remainder represents work that had been previously orders.
The weapons system to be supplied is the Harpoon and Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER), a precision-guided, air-launched cruise missile capable of attacking medium- to long-range, moving or stationary land and/or sea targets, (155 nautical miles/270 km), relying on GPS and infrared imaging for navigation and control.
Last October, Boeing began building a 35,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant in St. Charles, Mo., to support increased production for the Harpoon and SLAM ER programs. Construction will be complete in 2021.
The last delivery of the SLAM ER weapon system was in 2008.
“We are pleased to continue our long legacy of partnering with the Navy to build weapons that defend America and its international partners,” stated Cindy Gruensfelder, vice president of Boeing Weapons. “These awards will not only extend production of the Harpoon program through 2026, they will also restart the production line for SLAM ER and ensure deliveries through 2028.”
