(Washington, D.C.) Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, along
with Congressman Mike Ross, today announced that the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) has contracted with Raytheon Company to produce 250
Evolved SeaSparrow Missiles. Raytheon is a Waltham, Massachusetts-based
business with manufacturing facilities in East Camden and Little Rock,
which employ approximately 750 Arkansans.
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. |