Boeing Stops Navy Sea-Launched Missile Contract Pursuit

Boeing has decided not to compete for a U.S. Navy program to provide an over-the-horizon cruise missile designed to be launched from frigates and littoral combat ships due to continuing changes in system requirements, Defense News reported Tuesday.

Christopher P. Cavas writes Troy Rutherford, director of cruise missile systems at Boeing’s defense business, said the company had planned to modify its Block II Plus Extended Range Harpoon missile in support of the Naval Sea Systems Command’s requirements as stated in the request for proposals issued in February.

Boeing is currently developing an air-launched Block II Plus Extended Range Harpoon for the Naval Air Systems Command.

Rutherford noted that Boeing is on track to transition the first Block II net-enabled offensive anti-surface warfare missile into operational capability this year, but “in every iteration of the RFP amendments we see a decrease in the top-level requirements document and changes in the top-level requirements document.”

The company’s withdrawal from the competition leaves Lockheed Martin and the Raytheon–Kongsberg team as likely bidders for NAVSEA’s OTH cruise missile program, the report added.

Responses to the RFP are due May 9, according to the solicitation posted on FedBizOpps.