Raytheon Missile Systems has received a $36 million U.S. Navy contract option for the Rolling Airframe Missile upgraded MK-31 Guided Missile Weapon System improvement program.

The deal covers design agent and engineering support services for the program.

The MK-31 RAM Guided Missile Weapon System is a cooperative development and production program conducted jointly by the United States and Germany.

Support is required to maintain current weapon system capability, as well as to resolve issues through design, systems, software maintenance, reliability, maintainability, quality assurance and logistics engineering services.

Work will be performed in Arizona and Kentucky, with an estimated completion date of September 2017.

The contract option includes about $2.3 million in German funding.

Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.

The RAM Guided Missile Weapon System is designed to protect ships of all sizes and is deployed on more than 165 ships in eight countries.