Despite one of their $12 million dollar missiles going missing during a test back in October, Raytheon is prodding the government to pony up and buy 17 more of the “hit-to-kill” weapons.
These would cost the US taxpayer about $179 million, give or take a million for “general and administrative” purposes.
Raytheon Co. is asking Congress to increase purchases of a U.S. Navy missile interceptor even as the Pentagon investigates the defensive weapon’s failure in a test, according to people familiar with the contractor’s efforts.
The company wants congressional defense committees to add 17 SM-3 IB missiles — at a cost of $179 million — to the Missile Defense Agency’s request for 35 of the “hit-to-kill” weapons for the fiscal year beginning in October, according to four people who asked not to be identified discussing the behind-the-scenes lobbying.
“Raytheon supports stable and economical production quantities for fiscal 2017, as funded in prior and current years,” spokesman Michael Doble said via e-mail when asked about the request. He didn’t comment on whether Waltham, Massachusetts-based Raytheon was seeking an increase.
The push for more of the weapons — fired from Navy ships to destroy short-to-intermediate range missiles — comes after a $12 million missile was lost early in flight during a Oct. 31 intercept test. The Missile Defense Agency is still reviewing the incident, and an official said the cause appears to be a bad component that inadvertently made it through the quality acceptance process.
first we take a nap. then we fire ze missle!