Malaysian firm to supply ESSM components

A Malaysian company has been chosen by Raytheon to produce components for a missile used by the U.S. Navy and allied nations. The Malaysian company, Contraves Advanced Devices Sdn. Bhd., was recently qualified by Raytheon for its Strategic Enterprise Aligned Commodities provider program, which narrows the number of companies participating in Raytheon's supply chain. "Raytheon is a global company with strategic partnerships worldwide," said Rick Nelson, vice president of Naval Weapon Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems. "We welcome Contraves to the ESSM global supply chain and look forward to expanding our relationship on ESSM and other programs." Added Kevin Peppe, vice president of Raytheon's Seapower Capability Systems: "Through this partnership with Contraves, we are extending our global supply chain network and enhancing our presence and expertise in Malaysia. Our shared commitment to quality and performance will allow us to deliver exceptional capabilities to our customer and industry, now and into the future." Raytheon said the contract to Contraves is in line with the country's economic transformation program, as well as U.S. and Malaysian initiatives. Raytheon said it is eyeing other Malaysian companies for work on the ESSM program and has issued a request for quotations.