BAE awarded contract for nuclear cruise missile engineering

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc. has been awarded a $7.96 million contract modification to provide engineering and acquisition support for the U.S. Navy’s Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM) program, according to a Department of Defense announcement.

The cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification, issued under Contract N00030-22-C-6007, funds technical engineering and facilities integration work related to the development of the nuclear-armed cruise missile system. The effort is scheduled to run from June 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026.

According to the Pentagon, work will be distributed across several locations, with 50% performed in Bangor, Washington, 30% in Washington, D.C., 19% in Kings Bay, Georgia, and the remaining 1% in Rockville, Maryland.

Strategic Systems Programs, based in Washington, D.C., is managing the contract. The agency said the work was awarded on a sole-source basis under 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1), which allows for exceptions to competitive bidding in cases involving only one responsible source. The award had been previously listed in the System for Award Management portal.

The Department of Defense confirmed that Fiscal Year 2025 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the full amount of $7,967,764 will be obligated at the time of award. No funds are expected to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

The Sea-Launched Cruise Missile program, commonly referred to as SLCM-N, is a reintroduced strategic weapons initiative aimed at enhancing the Navy’s deterrence posture through a deployable, nuclear-capable cruise missile. The program was revived in response to shifting global threats and a desire to restore a non-strategic nuclear option at sea.

The Navy has not disclosed additional details regarding the missile’s development timeline or operational testing.