According to the Department’s statement, the unspecified number of missiles will be allocated equally between the U.S. Navy and undisclosed export customers under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. This marks the second major production contract for the RIM-162 ESSM this year, following a USD 525 million deal finalised in September.
Introduced in 2004, the RIM-162 ESSM is manufactured by RTX Corporation in collaboration with international partners. With an operational range exceeding 50 km, the missile is launched from a variety of naval platforms, including vertical launch systems like the Mk 41, as well as traditional launchers such as the Mk 29.
The missile’s combat debut occurred on 9 October 2016, when the USS Mason (DDG 87) successfully intercepted an anti-ship missile launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen. While unconfirmed, reports suggest the RIM-162 ESSM may have seen further combat use this year by other operators in the same region.
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