Raytheon receives $104.9M contract for Griffin missiles

by Stephen Carlson Washington (UPI) Aug 18, 2017 UPI

Raytheon Missile Systems has received a $104.9 million contract for delivery of Griffin precision guided missiles and associated support, the Department of Defense announced on Thursday.

The work will be performed in Tuscon, Ariz., and is expected to be finished by Dec. 31, 2018. The Air Force is obligating $241 million in procurement funds upon award of the contract.

The Griffin is a light attack missile with a 13-pound warhead designed for precision strikes while reducing the risk of collateral damage. It uses a semi-active laser, GPS or inertial navigation system for guidance with a range of up to 12 miles when launched from the air.

It comes in either aft-launch or forward firing variants for aircraft and can also be deployed from ground and naval units. It was originally designed for MC-130 special operations gunships

The missile has seen combat use in Afghanistan, and models with upgraded guidance systems and extended range are currently under development.