The United States has approved more than $55.3 million dollars in potential surface-to-air missiles sales to Japan.
On September28, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Pentagon’s top arms broker, announced that the U.S. State Department has cleared possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Japan of RAM Block 2 Tactical Missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $55.311 million.
According to the DSCA, the complete package includes 51 Rolling Airframe Missiles Block 2 Tactical Missiles, RIM-116C. Also included are RAM Guided Missile Round Pack Tri-Pack shipping and storage containers, operator manuals and technical documentation, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support.
“These RAM Block 2 Tactical missiles will provide significantly enhanced area defense capabilities over critical East Asian and Western Pacific air and sea-lines of communication. Japan will have no difficulty absorbing these missiles into its armed forces ,” DSCA said in its announcement.
The prime contractor will be Raytheon Missiles and Defense Company, Tucson, AZ.
The Block 2 variant, the latest evolution in the development of the RAM missile, has a larger rocket motor, advanced control section and an enhanced RF receiver capable of detecting the quietest of threat emitters. The improvements make the missile two and a half times more maneuverable, with one and a half times the effective intercept range. This provides the Block 2 variant with the capability to defeat highly stressing threats, increasing the survivability of the defended ship.
A September 15 U.S. Department of Defense notice said that U.S. Navy awarded a contract modification worth more than $7 million to the Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson to supply RAM guided missile weapon system for the German Navy.