Raytheon awarded $19.3M Rolling Airframe Missile support contract
Raytheon has secured a $19.3 million U.S. Navy contract modification to provide ongoing design agent and engineering support for the Rolling Airframe Missile, a key short range naval air defense weapon used by the United States and allied fleets.
The award was issued to Raytheon Co. in Tucson, Arizona, under a cost plus fixed fee modification to an existing contract. The work supports the Rolling Airframe Missile program and extends through March 2028. Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C. is the contracting authority.
According to U.S. Department of Defense contract disclosures, the effort combines funding from the U.S. Navy and multiple Foreign Military Sales partners, reflecting the system’s broad international footprint and continued operational relevance.
Contract details and funding breakdown
The $19,299,600 modification exercises options for continued technical and engineering services tied to the Rolling Airframe Missile, commonly known as RAM. These services typically include configuration management, system updates, reliability improvements, and lifecycle sustainment engineering.
Funding is split across the U.S. Navy and five allied nations:
- U.S. Navy, 69 percent
- Japan, 25 percent
- Qatar, 3 percent
- South Korea, 2 percent
- Canada, 1 percent
The contract draws from a mix of Navy weapons procurement, research and development, and other procurement accounts across fiscal years 2025 and 2026. A portion of the funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, in line with standard U.S. defense budget rules.
All work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, where Raytheon maintains major missile development and integration facilities.
Rolling Airframe Missile remains a frontline naval defense system
The Rolling Airframe Missile is a lightweight, quick reaction weapon designed to defeat anti ship cruise missiles, aircraft, and helicopters at close range. It is widely deployed aboard U.S. Navy surface combatants, including destroyers, cruisers, and amphibious ships, as well as on allied naval platforms.
RAM is known for its autonomous guidance, passive radio frequency homing, and infrared tracking, allowing it to engage threats with minimal shipboard input. This makes it especially valuable in high saturation attack scenarios where reaction time is limited.
The system is jointly developed and produced by Raytheon and Germany’s MBDA Deutschland, and has been fielded by more than a dozen navies worldwide.
Allied demand drives continued investment
The inclusion of Japan, South Korea, Qatar, and Canada in the funding profile highlights sustained allied demand for RAM support and upgrades. Japan, which accounts for a quarter of the contract value, operates RAM on several classes of destroyers and has steadily expanded its missile defense investments in response to regional threats.
South Korea and Qatar both field RAM to protect high value surface combatants, while Canada uses the system as part of its naval point defense architecture.
Foreign Military Sales participation ensures system commonality across fleets, supports shared logistics and training, and helps lower long term sustainment costs for all users.
Part of a broader U.S. Navy missile defense effort
The contract aligns with the U.S. Navy’s ongoing focus on layered ship self defense. While larger systems such as the Standard Missile and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile provide area and medium range protection, RAM fills the final defensive layer against incoming threats that penetrate outer defenses.
As potential adversaries field faster, more maneuverable, and more numerous anti ship weapons, the Navy continues to invest in proven close in missile systems that can be upgraded incrementally rather than replaced outright.
Design agent and engineering support contracts like this one are critical to keeping legacy systems effective against evolving threats without major platform changes.
Raytheon role in naval missile modernization
Raytheon remains one of the U.S. defense industry’s leading missile developers, with a portfolio that includes RAM, Standard Missile variants, Tomahawk, and Patriot. The Tucson site plays a central role in missile design, testing, and sustainment across multiple Navy and allied programs.
This award reinforces Raytheon’s long term position as the primary technical authority for the Rolling Airframe Missile and signals continued confidence from both the U.S. Navy and international partners.
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