By Marina Malenic
The Air Force last month awarded Raytheon [RTN] $34.4 million to continue design work on the AGM-65E2/L laser-guided Maverick missile, the newest variant of the Maverick, company officials said last week.
The contract requires Raytheon to develop, integrate and test the missile’s guidance and control section.
“This is a case of keeping a legacy weapon relevant,” Steve Dickman, senior manager for Maverick programs at Raytheon, told reporters during a Sept. 30 interview at the company’s missile facilities in Tucson, Ariz. “We feel this is a win-win for Raytheon and for the Air Force.”
The laser-guided Maverick is an ideal weapon for urban combat and high-speed maneuvering targets, according to Dickman. The conventional Maverick is integrated on more than 25 aircraft in 33 nations.
The laser-guided Maverick will have an enhanced laser seeker and new software, reducing the risk of collateral damage and enabling aviators to use onboard aircraft lasers to designate targets, Dickman said.
The AGM-65E2 is the Navy and Marine Corps’ variant of the laser-guided Maverick, while the AGM-65L is the Air Force variant. The contract covers work on all three services’ Maverick arsenals.
Earlier this year, Raytheon was awarded a $170 million Foreign Military Sales contract to produce AGM-65D and AGM-65G2 infrared-guided Maverick air-to-surface missiles for the United Arab Emirates.
More than 69,000 missiles have been produced to date, and more than 6,000 have been used in combat, according to Raytheon.
“The infrared-guided variant is well suited for high-speed maneuvering sea targets, such as swarming boats,” Dickman said.
Under the contract the FMS contract, Raytheon will build and provide life-cycle support for more than 500 new missiles for the UAE.
The company began producing the IR guided missiles in November 2008. Late last year, the Air Force awarded Raytheon a $77.4 million FMS contract to produce IR guided missiles for South Korea and Taiwan. That contract was for just over 250 new missiles.