WASHINGTON, August 14, 2026 — The Department of War, or DoW, in cooperation with Boeing and RTX, announced two major framework agreements to increase production of key components for the Standard Missile-3 Block IB (SM-3 IB) and components for the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA (SM-3 IIA). The agreements will strengthen production of the ship-fired surface-to-air interceptors that underpin the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System and form the backbone of U.S. sea-based missile defense at home and abroad. Production of both the SM-3 Block IIA and Block IB will accelerate under the new frameworks, with Boeing driving component manufacturing. The DoW’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy enabled the agreements by removing red tape and allowing the Department to engage with suppliers at every level of the industrial base.

“These agreements ensure our Warfighters get the munitions they need to win,” said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. “We are stabilizing our supply chains, expanding munitions production and putting our entire defense industrial base on a wartime footing.” The new frameworks add to an ongoing production effort involving the DoW, Boeing and RTX as the United States expands manufacturing capacity for the SM-3 interceptor family.

Boeing Takes on Greater SM-3 Component Production

Boeing has longstanding involvement in the SM-3 program and manufactures hardware for multiple variants of the interceptor. Its work includes hardware associated with guidance, navigation and control, avionics, communications and other systems supporting SM-3 variants. The company has also worked with Raytheon on the SM-3 kinetic warhead, giving Boeing an established manufacturing role within the missile-defense program.

Under the new frameworks, Boeing will drive component manufacturing for the SM-3 Block IB and Block IIA as production accelerates. The agreements extend Boeing’s contribution to the manufacturing pipeline supporting the two interceptor variants and are part of the DoW’s effort to expand munitions production. The department has described the SM-3 family as a backbone of U.S. missile defense, with the interceptors providing a ship-fired capability within the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System.

RTX Expands Production Across SM-3 Variants

The new agreements follow five framework agreements announced by Raytheon, an RTX business, in February 2026. Those arrangements cover the SM-3 Block IB, SM-3 Block IIA, SM-6, AMRAAM and Tomahawk programs and can run for up to seven years. RTX said the agreements would increase SM-3 IIA production and accelerate SM-3 IB production, alongside production increases for the other missile programs covered by the arrangements.

RTX also outlined production targets for several of those programs. The February agreements called for more than 1,000 Tomahawks, at least 1,900 AMRAAMs and more than 500 SM-6 missiles annually. The figures demonstrate the scale of the wider munitions-production effort involving RTX, while the SM-3 portion of the agreements covers higher Block IIA output and faster Block IB production.

Production Capacity Expands in Alabama

RTX has also invested in facilities supporting missile production and integration. In March 2026, Raytheon completed a $115 million expansion of its Redstone Raytheon Missile Integration Facility in Huntsville, Alabama. The 26,000-square-foot expansion increased the facility’s integration and delivery capacity by more than 50%, with the site supporting nine variants of the Standard Missile family.

The facility expansion adds manufacturing capacity as RTX works across several Standard Missile programs. The investment is part of the company’s wider production infrastructure and complements the framework agreements involving the SM-3 family. Together, the new agreements and recent facility investment place additional manufacturing resources behind a missile family that supports the U.S. Navy’s sea-based ballistic-missile defense capability.

SM-3 Block IIA Reaches Full-Rate Production

The latest agreements follow the SM-3 Block IIA’s approval for full-rate production in 2024. The Missile Defense Agency’s approval cleared the way for a $1.9 billion award issued in July 2024 to produce SM-3 Block IIA rounds for the U.S. government and Japan’s Ministry of Defense. Production under that award is being carried out at Raytheon facilities in Tucson, Arizona, and Huntsville, Alabama, with completion scheduled for February 2031.

The Block IIA was developed through cooperation between the United States and Japan and features larger rocket motors and an enhanced kinetic warhead compared with earlier versions. RTX says the interceptor is designed to engage short- to intermediate-range ballistic-missile threats and provide defense over a larger area. The Block IIA’s full-rate production milestone marked a significant stage in the program’s development and established a production base for further orders.

Photo credit: DoW

Block IB Supports the Aegis Missile-Defense System

The SM-3 Block IB is an operational interceptor that can be launched from U.S. Navy ships and land-based Aegis Ashore sites. RTX says the Block IB became operational in 2014 and was first deployed aboard U.S. Navy ships that year. The interceptor features a two-color infrared seeker and upgraded steering and propulsion capabilities.

The SM-3 family has also established an operational record across the U.S. and Japanese fleets. RTX reports that more than 400 SM-3 interceptors have been delivered to the U.S. and Japanese navies and that the program has recorded more than 30 successful space intercepts. The figures reflect the scale of the program and its role in ballistic-missile defense operations.

New Agreements Strengthen the SM-3 Production Pipeline

The Aug. 14 frameworks add to the production arrangements already established for the SM-3 family. Boeing will drive component manufacturing under the new DoW agreements, while RTX’s earlier frameworks call for higher SM-3 Block IIA production and accelerated Block IB production. The DoW’s Acquisition Transformation Strategy provides the procurement framework for engaging suppliers across the industrial base.

The combined production effort spans components, manufacturing facilities, and finished interceptors. With Boeing expanding its component role, RTX increasing output across the SM-3 variants and recent investments adding capacity at Raytheon’s Alabama facility, the latest agreements add another production layer to the Aegis missile-defense system and the U.S. sea-based interceptor program.