Boeing Secures $78 Million Deal to Supply SLAM ER Missiles to Royal Saudi Air Force
The Boeing Company, located in St. Louis, Missouri, has received a modification worth $78,355,686 to a previously granted firm-fixed-price contract. This adjustment activates an option to acquire various components linked to a total of 36 Stand-Off Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) data link pods and containers in support of the SLAM ER obsolescence redesign initiative for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command, based in Patuxent River, Maryland, is overseeing the contractual responsibilities.
In May 2020, Boeing secured two agreements exceeding $2 billion for the procurement of over 1,000 air-to-ground and anti-ship missiles for Saudi Arabia. The initial contract, amounting to $1.97 billion, focuses on the enhancement of SLAM ER cruise missiles alongside the supply of 650 new missiles “to assist the government of Saudi Arabia. This contract is scheduled for completion by December 2028 for the SLAM ERs, a GPS-guided air-to-ground missile boasting a range of up to 155 nautical miles (or roughly 290 kilometers).
The AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER is an advanced stand-off precision-guided, air-launched cruise missile crafted by Boeing Defense, Space & Security for the United States Armed Forces and its allies. Evolved from the AGM-84E SLAM (Standoff Land Attack Missile), the SLAM-ER is adept at engaging land and maritime targets at medium to long distances (with a maximum range of 155 nautical miles/270 km). The SLAM-ER utilizes the Global Positioning System (GPS) and infrared imaging for navigation and control, capable of striking both mobile and stationary targets efficiently.
The SLAM-ER can be operated remotely during its flight, allowing for redirection to alternative targets post-launch if the initial target has been neutralized or is deemed no longer a threat (command guidance). It is recognized as a highly precise weapon; as of 2009, it had the most favorable circular error probable (CEP) of any missile utilized by the U.S. Navy. Launch and control capabilities extend across multiple aircraft types, including the F/A-18 Hornet, F/A-18 Super Hornet, and P-3C Orion, in addition to the F-15E Strike Eagle.
