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Missile Defense

MDA Awards $8.41 Billion Ceiling Increase For RTX’s SM-3 Contract

By Matthew Beinart

Wednesday, March 18th, 2026

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MDA Awards $8.41 Billion Ceiling Increase For RTX’s SM-3 Contract

A Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block 1B interceptor missile is launched from the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70) during a Missile Defense Agency and Navy test in the mid-Pacific in May 2013 (Photo: U.S. Navy)

The Missile Defense Agency on Wednesday awarded an $8.41 billion ceiling increase to RTX [RTX] for Standard Missile (SM)-3 Block missile variants. The deal increases RTX’s current contract to build SM-3s for the U.S. and foreign military sales partners from $3.33 billion to $11.74 billion. The update follows a $1 billion contract in May last year for 55 SM-3 IB AURs in May 2025 and a $267 million order last week for 23 more interceptors (Defense Daily, March 13). RTX…

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