US Navy Receives 1,000th ESSM Block 2 Naval Air Defense Missile as Deliveries Double in 16 Months

The US Navy's NATO SeaSparrow programme has accepted the 1,000th ESSM Block 2 missile produced for the 12-nation consortium, rather than solely for American inventories. The milestone was marked on October 28 at Raytheon's Camden, Arkansas, facility, following the 500th delivery in June 2025. Block 2 combines active and semi-active radar guidance to engage aircraft and anti-ship missiles, reducing dependence on a ship's radar illumination during terminal interception. Cumulative deliveries therefore doubled in roughly 16 months, reflecting increased output for the participating navies without disclosing how the missiles were allocated among them.