Members of the Arkansas congressional delegation were informed this week of the contract award totaling $162.7 million.  They said that most of the components of the missiles will be constructed at Raytheon facilities in other states and in other allied nations while Raytheon’s East Camden facility will be responsible for the final assembly of the missiles.  

The Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles are designed for naval vessels to provide defense against “high-speed, highly maneuverable anti-ship missiles,” according to a statement by Raytheon.  The 250 missiles will be distributed among the U.S. Navy and nine other NATO member-nations.   

 “NATO’s contract with Raytheon is sure to be an economic boon for East Camden.  We Arkansans can continue to take pride in the fact that our state is home to a number of companies that are working to best equip our military,” Pryor said.  “The Evolved SeaSparrow is an important asset for our navy’s ships as they seek to defend themselves from the threat of attack.”  

"Contracts like this only reiterate the importance Arkansas’ military installations and industries play in the global war on terrorism," Lincoln said. "Most importantly, this contract is an investment in the community of East Camden, which will benefit economically from the continued business the Raytheon Company receives."  

Congressman Ross added, "this contract will bring new jobs and economic opportunities to Arkansas.  As a member of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I look forward to working with NATO, Raytheon, and local officials on this project and other defense contracts in the years ahead." 

The Raytheon Missile Systems Company is located in the Highland Industrial Park in East Camden, which is also home to a number of other defense contractors including Lockheed Martin, Esterline Armtec Defense Inc., and Aerojet.