The US Navy has awarded Raytheon a nearly $29.2-million contract modification to expand tooling and test equipment for the Standard Missile 6 (SM-6) All Up Round.
Rather than buying new missiles directly, the cost-plus-fixed-fee award targets supplier special tooling and special test equipment.
This is essential infrastructure that enables factories to make more SM-6 missiles faster and with consistent quality.
The work flows from an existing contract and will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (47 percent), Middletown, Connecticut (32 percent), and Westminster, Maryland (21 percent), with completion expected by September 30, 2028.
The SM-6’s Importance
The SM-6 All Up Round refers to the complete, ready-to-fire configuration of the SM-6 interceptor, incorporating guidance, seeker, propulsion, warhead, and flight controls into a single operational package.
Developed by Raytheon, the SM-6 is a multi-mission weapon capable of engaging aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missile threats in their terminal phase, offering surface combatants long-range defensive reach.
Across the past two years, several significant foreign military sales have highlighted the SM-6’s role in allied defenses.
In February 2025, the US State Department approved a potential foreign military sale worth approximately $900 million for up to 150 SM-6 Block I missiles to Japan.
The deal is intended to enhance the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s Aegis-equipped destroyer fleet amid growing regional threats in the Indo-Pacific.
Meanwhile, in November 2025, Washington cleared a prospective $3.5-billion foreign military sale to Germany covering both SM-6 Block I and SM-2 Block IIIC missiles for its future F127 air and missile defense frigates.
The package includes associated launch canisters, support, and sustainment equipment, signaling Berlin’s intent to tie its next generation of surface combatants into NATO’s layered defenses.
