US Navy issues sources sought notice for next significant variant of ESSM missile

Published Aug 21, 11:15 AM UTC

The U.S. Navy, through the Naval Sea Systems Command, has issued a sources sought notice seeking industry proposals for a Next Significant Variant (NSV) of the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM). The notice, posted on August 20, calls for designs that fit the existing 10-inch diameter to ensure compatibility with Mk 41 vertical launch systems. The new variant must be releasable to all 12 NATO SEASPARROW consortium nations (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Türkiye, and the United States). The Navy seeks concepts capable of handling a wider range of threats, including maneuvering targets and electronic countermeasures, and requires a Modular Open Systems Approach. Responses are due October 19, and the notice may lead to a contract or prototype award. The current ESSM Block 2, built by RTX (Raytheon), has a range of about 50 km and speed above Mach 4.