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Washington — Raytheon Technologies Co And Northrop Grumman Corp have won a US contract to continue developing missiles to intercept hypersonic weapons, the four explained on Friday.
This decision means that Lockheed Martin, the number one contractor in the US defense industry, which was also in dispute, has been eliminated.
In November, the three companies developed a satellite- and sensor-guided interceptor as hypersonic missiles in the Earth's atmosphere glide toward a target. We have won a total of about $ 60 million in individual contracts.
The deal, which may be announced on Friday, will reduce the number of companies developing the system to two.
As with any defense contract, the unwinning company has the right to protest the decision.
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA), whose mission is to develop and operate a multi-layered defense system by the Department of Defense, may conclude a separate development contract on Friday.
An MDA spokesman declined to comment.
Hypersonic weapons are difficult to track because they can fly at five times the speed of sound and can be steered during flight.
According to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, estimates of the internal cost of MDA's interceptor system ranged from $ 3.7 billion to $ 4.2 billion if funding was accelerated.
Parliament's 2023 defense budget includes funding to accelerate the development of the program, but the bill has not yet been finalized. The
GAO report recommends that the MDA obtain an independent cost and technology assessment of the interceptor. (Report by Mike Stone in Washington, edited by Leslie Adler and Deepa Babington)
