The contract will supply U.S. forces and the Japanese military

TUCSON, AZ — Tucson-based missiles and defense products manufacturer Raytheon has won a nearly $2 billion contract that will supply the Japanese military as well as U.S. forces.

The contract with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency for $1,944,082,765 call for the manufacture and assembly of Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA All-Up Rounds, with work to be performed in Tucson and Alabama and completed by February 2031.

The SM-3 interceptor is described by Raytheon as a defensive weapon that destroys short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles using sheer force rather than explosive warheads. Its “kill vehicle” collides with threats with the force of a 10-ton truck traveling 600 mph.

Raytheon is Arizona’s largest defense contractor ranked by the value of contracts awarded during fiscal 2023, according to Business Journal research.