US Navy to launch upgraded SM-6 Block IAU production to secure missile supply through the 2030s

The U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon a $160.9 million undefinitized contract action to transition the SM-6 Block IA Update into production. The modification replaces obsolete components in the guidance-section electronics unit and target-detection device, preserving the missile's existing airframe, propulsion and warhead rather than introducing the separate Block IB configuration. First deliveries are planned for fiscal 2030, with current Block IA manufacture continuing during the transition. The award supports a broader production expansion targeting more than 500 complete SM-6 missiles annually and planned procurement through fiscal 2037, but does not specify a fixed missile quantity.