Raytheon Wins U.S Navy Air-To-Surface Missile Contract

Raytheon has been awarded a $80.5 million contract with the U.S. Navy for the procurement of its Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) missiles, scheduled to be completed by July 2015.

The JSOW missiles are a group of air-to-ground weapons that use an integrated GPS navigation system and terminal imaging infrared seeker, which guides the weapon to the target.

According to the U.S. DoD, Raytheon’s order includes 200 units of full rate production of the missiles and all the equipment associated with the bombs.

The JSOW is defined by the U.S Navy as a precision strike weapon. The air–to-surface missile weighs approximately 1,000 pounds and it can carry several different lethal packages while traveling a 78-mile distance using GPS signals.

In addition, the defense company will also deliver one test round to the U.S Navy to be used in a performance test.

According to Raytheon, more than 400 JSOWs have been used in combat operations to this date, including more than 300 in Operation Iraqi Freedom.