Raytheon, an RTX business, won a multi-year U.S. military contract valued at up to $6.3 billion to produce and sustain Standard Missile-3 Block IB interceptors. The award supports efforts to replenish missile-defense inventories depleted by conflicts in the Middle East and meet rising demand for air and missile defense systems. The existing contract description specifies a five-year award with two additional option years. Work will be performed primarily in Tucson, Arizona, and Huntsville, Alabama. SM-3 Block IB is a ballistic missile-defense interceptor used by the U.S. Navy against short- and intermediate-range ballistic missile threats and was first used in combat in 2024. The deal follows large Pentagon awards for Raytheon’s Standard Missile-6 and Lockheed Martin’s Patriot system, while industry executives have warned that insufficient congressional funding could delay investment in production facilities and supply chains.