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The U.S. 2010 defense budget proposal includes $50 million funding to continue work on producing a land-based version of the Raytheon Standard Missile 3 (SM-3).
Raytheon spokesman John Patterson said here at the Paris Air Show on June 18 that a land-based SM-3 would provide the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) a "shovel ready" solution that could be fielded three years from go-ahead. He said developing and fielding a system from scratch could take 10 or more years and cost north of $1 billion.
The company has been developing the land-based SM-3 on its own funds for about five years. However, it is based on an existing set of components - the missile, the Theater High-Altitude Area Defense system THAAD and an AN-TPY-2 radar - that are already proven.
SM-3 has performed 14 successful intercepts.
Patterson said MDA has now shifted focus toward bringing the system ashore.
"We feel we are in a good position and as MDA also looks at the new emphasis on the boost and ascent phases, SM-3 can be an ascent-phase solution. We can hit in the ascent phase and have done it in tests."
Meanwhile, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, in its mark up of the fiscal year 2010 defense budget, has voted to increase the number of sea-based SM-3s to be purchased to 329 from 113 systems. However, it also voted against an amendment to spend an additional $1.2 billion on general missile-defense programs in 2010.
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