Raytheon and Phoenix Products on an agreement for NSM production.

Raytheon has announced its brand new agreement with Phoenix Products Inc. (PPI) for the production of the Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) required by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for the U.S. Navy.

Naval Strike Missile at Sea Air Space 2017 in the USA (Picture source )

This $US 1,6 million contract has been signed by both companies, under the Department of Defense’s Mentor-Protégé program, which provides a large business with incentives to help smaller ones develop technical and operating capabilities to be more competitive with DoD programs. In May 2018, Raytheon had been awarded a U.S. Navy contract to manufacture and deliver the over-the-horizon weapon system for the Navy's littoral combat ships and future frigates.

This 3-year agreement will thus bring Raytheon to train and support PPI (a small and disadvantaged business) in technical and quality management process, in order to make it more successful and permitting it to contribute more and more to the US industry. "The program will enable PPI to take the next steps to be a fully capable aerospace container and ground support equipment manufacturer," said Tom Wilson, PPI president. "It will help ensure we continue to employ highly capable people and train local residents with significant skill sets for now and in the future."

NSM is a long-range, precision strike missile that can detect and destroy heavily defended land and sea targets at ranges in excess of 100 nautical miles. The stealthy missile flies at sea-skimming altitude, has terrain-following capability and uses an advanced seeker for precise targeting in challenging conditions. The NSM also emits low observable signals to avoid detection by enemy radars, climbs and descends with the terrain, performs evasive manoeuvres to counter the world's most capable defense systems and carries a programmable fuze warhead.