The Navy and its 11 allied partners now have twice as many ESSM Block 2 interceptors in hand as they did in mid-2025, according to the Navy. The NATO SEASPARROW Program office, PMX-312, announced delivery of the 1,000th Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Block 2 produced for the 12-nation NATO SEASPARROW Consortium. Program staff marked the delivery with industry partners in Camden, Arkansas, on Oct. 28, 2026.
Raytheon, an RTX business, is the prime contractor for ESSM Block 2 production. According to the Navy release, the program reached its 500th missile delivery in June 2025, which means cumulative output doubled in a little more than a year. The release does not state a contract value or an annual production rate.
How ESSM Block 2 Went From 500 to 1,000 Missiles
The Navy framed the milestone as evidence that the program is scaling to meet demand. The release says the 1,000th delivery "reflects the continued expansion of ESSM Block 2 production to meet growing U.S. and international demand." It credits the cumulative jump from 500 to 1,000 missiles to that expansion, without breaking out how many rounds went to the U.S. Navy versus partner navies.
The timing of the 500th delivery deserves a note. The Navy's account dates it to June 2025. Raytheon's own announcement of its 500th ESSM Block 2 delivery, as reported by The Defense Post, appeared in October 2025. The two dates may reflect different counting points, such as government acceptance versus a company ceremony, but neither source explains the gap. Either way, the program covered the second 500 missiles faster than it covered the first.
That October 2025 report also described the plan behind the ramp. The Defense Post wrote that "Raytheon is planning to invest in infrastructure and raw materials with the aim of doubling its production of the missile by June 2026." The Navy release does not say whether that rate target was met, and doubling cumulative deliveries is not the same thing as doubling the annual production rate. The 1,000th delivery does land within months of the company's stated target date.
Capt. John Bowman, the PMX-312 program manager, tied the result to both the consortium and the supplier base. "Delivery of the 1,000th ESSM Block 2 missile is a significant achievement for the NATO SEASPARROW Consortium, PMX-312, our industry partners, and, most importantly, the Sailors who rely on these weapons as a critical layer of defense," Bowman said. He added: "This milestone demonstrates the enduring value of international cooperation and a resilient industrial base in delivering proven maritime-defense capability at the scale our nations require."
What the Block 2 Upgrade Adds to the Fleet
ESSM Block 2 is a ship-launched surface-to-air missile built for self-defense and local-area defense against airborne and surface threats. The Navy release describes it as "a vital layer of protection for ships, Sailors, and maritime operations in increasingly contested environments."
- NATO SEASPARROW Project established
- First ESSM delivered
- Block 2 enters service
- 500th Block 2 delivery (Navy date)
Compared with Block 1, the Block 2 variant adds a dual-mode radar seeker, better maneuverability and more flexible guidance, according to The Defense Post. The missile keeps the same 10-inch size, so ships can load four missiles into a single launcher cell. That quad-pack arrangement matters for magazine depth: a ship can carry more short-range interceptors without giving up cells needed for longer-range missiles. The Defense Post says the missile is deployed from Mk 41 vertical launch systems and Mk 29 trainable launchers, which makes it compatible with a wide variety of surface combatants.
The Defense Post reported that the first ESSM version was delivered in 2002 and that Block 2 entered service in 2020. In addition to U.S. ships, the missile has been integrated on allied classes such as the Royal Netherlands Navy's De Zeven Provinciën-class frigates.
Why a 1968 Consortium Still Shapes Missile Buys
The NATO SEASPARROW Project was established in 1968 and, per the Navy, is one of NATO's longest-running cooperative weapons programs. Its 12 members are Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Türkiye and the United States. Those nations jointly develop, produce and sustain interoperable ship self-defense capabilities.
The consortium model shapes how ESSM money and work flow. Member nations share costs, development and sustainment responsibilities, according to The Defense Post, and Raytheon works with the Navy, consortium nations and a multinational industrial base to build and deliver the missiles. For a production ramp, that structure spreads demand signals across a dozen navies while keeping a single design baseline.
On the U.S. side, PMX-312 sits inside PAE Munitions, the Navy organization the release describes as responsible for "the development, procurement, and delivery of naval munitions and strike capabilities." The Navy said PAE Munitions unifies key weapons programs and aligns the weapons industrial base to "accelerate production, increase capacity, and ensure the Fleet is equipped with the munitions needed to project power and win."
What It Means for Contractors
The 1,000th delivery suggests ESSM Block 2 is in a sustained ramp, not a one-time surge. For Raytheon's multinational supplier base, that points to continued demand across the missile's bill of materials. Firms that supply raw materials or production equipment should note that the October 2025 investment plan named infrastructure and raw materials as its focus.
Contractors should also track how PAE Munitions reports progress. The organization frames its mission around accelerating production and increasing capacity, so suppliers in its other munitions lines may see a similar emphasis on throughput and industrial base capacity.
Because Raytheon builds the missile with a multinational industrial base, U.S. firms may find themselves competing with suppliers elsewhere for ESSM work. U.S. small businesses seeking a role would generally look to Raytheon's supply chain rather than direct Navy awards. Neither source disclosed a contract value or a projected annual rate, so firms sizing the opportunity should watch future contract announcements for those figures before committing capacity.
