The Department of War announced Aug. 14 production agreements with Boeing and Raytheon Technologies for Standard Missile-3 Block IIA and Block IB interceptors, the first concrete industrial steps toward fielding the Golden Dome for America missile defense network at scale.
The agreements are designed to increase manufacturing capacity for the SM-3, the primary exoatmospheric interceptor used in the Navy’s Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system.
RTX manufactures the SM-3 Block IIA in partnership with Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, while Boeing produces the Block IB variant, according to the Department of War. Both missiles are designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside Earth’s atmosphere.
The production agreements are directly tied to the Aug. 11 launch of the Golden Dome for America Hub, the Pentagon’s central coordination point for industry engagement on the missile defense program. Increasing SM-3 production capacity is a prerequisite for fielding the interceptor network at the scale envisioned by the administration.
Virginia Payload Module-equipped submarines being reclassified as guided missile submarines could also serve as SM-3 launch platforms, potentially expanding the sea-based interceptor layer of the Golden Dome architecture.
Current SM-3 production rates have been constrained by supply chain limitations and production line capacity. The new agreements aim to address those bottlenecks as anticipated demand grows under the Golden Dome program.