Boeing bags $460.6M contract for Guam's missile defense system

Boeing Co. has been awarded a nearly $460.6 million contract for the engineering design and development of a missile defense system on Guam, with work anticipated to be completed by 2027 or up to 2033.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced the Missile Defense Agency contract award to Boeing on May 3.

MDA has put the activation of a 360-degree missile defense system for Guam in 2027, based on earlier reports.

“Under the National Team–Systems and Engineering (NT-S) contract, Boeing will continue the Missile Defense Agency’s on these highly specialized follow-on efforts, as required, to achieve Department of Defense mandated capability improvements, through a continuance of these highly complex systems engineering and integration (SE&I)-related efforts,” DoD said in its Friday announcement of the Boeing contract award.

The work will be performed in Boeing’s Huntsville, Alabama facility, which has played a vital role in the development of U.S. missile and weapons systems and space system programs.

“This award will ensure continuity of critical work to deliver required capability increments,” the Pentagon said.

The anticipated base period of performance is three and a half years with two three-year options, from April 2024 to October 2033.

Fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation funds amounting to $460,554,196 are being obligated on this award, the Pentagon said.

DoD has been beefing up the defense system on Guam, amid potential missile threats from North Korea and China.

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But a January report from Washington, D.C.-based think tank, the Heritage Foundation, recommended a number of defense systems be deployed to Guam while awaiting the development of a 360-degree missile defense system for the island.

A draft environmental impact statement for the missile defense system on Guam is expected to be ready for public comment by this summer, with a final version handed down by 2025, a key official said earlier.

Plans for the system made public in 2023 have it distributed at 20 sites across Guam, with a contingent of 700 soldiers needed to operate it.

DoD, in its May 3 announcement on the Boeing contract award, said the National Team–Systems and Engineering contract will continue to provide complex systems engineering and integration data deliverables.

This is in addition to subject matter expert analysis and advanced development efforts that are required to fully support MDA’s Systems Engineering Plan processes and products.

“The Boeing Co. will continue to provide specialized system engineering guidance, integration, system development, and data products that are currently being delivered under contract HQ0147-19-C-0001,” the Pentagon said.

Work will include requirements related to MDA’s ongoing mission to “refine the layered Missile Defense System architecture incorporation of Homeland Defense radars, electronic protection, Sea Based Terminal Inc3, integration of the Ground Missile Defense Next Generation Interceptor, defense of Guam, and initial glide phase intercept capability.”

Technical reports, system specifications, supporting predictive analysis, test requirements and test performance assessments, system reliability assessments and systems engineering and integration data inputs are among the deliverables.

Reports from the Pentagon have detailed challenges facing missile defense plans for Guam. The first-of-its-kind system will integrate missile defense tech from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, but getting the various components to work together properly has been flagged as a major hurdle.