Navy Marks 1,000th ESSM Block 2 Delivery

The U.S. Navy’s NATO SEASPARROW program has announced delivery of its 1,000th Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Block 2, marking a production milestone for a 12-nation consortium. The program reached its 500th delivery in June 2025, according to the program office, PMX312. The announcement, issued November 2, said the missile was produced for the consortium, which includes Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Türkiye and the United States. PMX312 said the milestone was celebrated with industry partners in Camden, Arkansas, on October 28. ESSM Block 2 is a ship-launched surface-to-air missile intended to defend vessels and nearby areas against airborne and surface threats. Its active radar seeker can track a target in the final stage of flight, while the missile can also use a ship’s radar guidance. Four ESSMs can fit in one cell of the Mk 41 vertical launch system, increasing the number a ship can carry in its launch system. Capt. John Bowman, the Navy’s PMX312 program manager, described the delivery as a product of international cooperation and an industrial base supporting naval defense requirements. Raytheon, an RTX...