The US Navy has awarded BAE Systems a contract to manufacture missile canisters for its surface fleet, though the exact number has not been disclosed.
Valued at $22 million, the deal includes canisters for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) and continued production of MK 29 Guided Missile Launching System (GMLS) canisters. If all contract options are exercised, the total value could reach $317 million.
Production will take place at BAE’s Aberdeen, South Dakota facility, with engineering and program support based in Minneapolis.
This agreement follows a separate $738 million order placed in July 2024 for MK 41 canisters.
The MK 41 VLS stores missiles vertically below deck for protection and enables launching a wide range of weapons, including SM-6 air-defense missiles, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and anti-submarine rockets. Originally developed by Lockheed Martin, the system uses BAE-manufactured canisters to secure and transport individual missiles.
The MK 41 is installed on US Navy destroyers such as the Arleigh-Burke class, and is also used by allied navies including the UK, Germany, and Japan. Recently, Lockheed Martin and Diehl Defence agreed to explore integrating IRIS-T missiles into the launcher.
The MK 29 GMLS is a trainable, above-deck launcher primarily firing ESSM and RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles, storing up to eight rounds and requiring manual reloads. It remains in service on select platforms such as Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.
