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ESSM Production Record Increases from Previous Years

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS100702-14
7/2/2010

From Program Executive Office, Integrated Warfare Systems Public Affairs

ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- The NATO SeaSparrow Missile Project Office (NSPO) announced, June 30, a 12-month Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) production record of 366 missiles ¯ eclipsing the previous year's production record by more than 160 missiles.

According to Joe Smith, ESSM director, the new record is due to a marked increase in missile orders, that were also supported by more efficient and standardized production and cooperative delivery processes.

"Our team's cooperation with other missile programs, along with the successful procurement and installation of standardized test sets, has allowed us to eliminate a test-set redesign, resulting in a cost-avoidance of $40 million," explained Smith.

Guidance-section yields have increased to more than 70 percent, during the production run, and all-up-round test yields improved from under 40 percent to more than 80 percent.

"Steady-state throughput over the past 18 months has been maintained at nearly 50 percent above the previous production rate average. In May 2009, 45 missiles were delivered, which was more than double the previous record high for one month," Smith added.

The ESSM program is managed by the NSPO and is comprised of an international consortium of 12 nations, including the U.S. and non-NATO partner Australia. Located in Arlington, Va., NSPO is NATO's largest and longest-running (42 years) cooperative weapons development project.

In addition to its accelerated rate of production, NSPO has saved approximately $650 million through its cooperative approach to procuring and maintaining ESSM inventories. The NSPO's unique and proven business model is especially attractive to partner nations during challenging economic periods when countries are seeking to reduce defense spending while still supporting their defense industrial base.

In service on approximately 230 ships of 12 navies, the versatile ESSM is an intermediate range anti-ship cruise missile which is guided via active radar and midcourse data uplinks. The missile extends a ship's tactical battlespace and provides reliable self-defense capability against small, low-altitude, highly maneuverable anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as high-speed surface threats.