U.S. to Increase Aegis Deployment in Pacific

The United States plans to add three more ships equipped with antiballistic missile systems to its Pacific fleet by the end of the year, Reuters reported yesterday (see GSN, July 24).

The three ships are set to carry the Aegis system and Standard Missile 3 interceptors to counter short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, said Rear Adm. Alan Hicks, program manager for Aegis ballistic missile defense. They would join three U.S. anti-missile ships already deployed in the theater, according to Reuters.

Japan and the United States are developing an advanced model SM-3 Block 2 to intercept long-range missiles, with deployment scheduled for 2015, Hicks said (Jim Wolf, Reuters I, Aug. 16).

Meanwhile, the U.S. Defense Department announced yesterday that it has awarded Raytheon Co. a $265.9 million contract modification to develop and deliver 29 SM-3 Block 1A rockets by 2009, Reuters reported (Reuters II, Aug. 16).

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