The Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. [NOC] a contract in the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) engines program.

That contract, covering 22 months, calls for Northrop to continue the full-rate production phase of the ICBM Propulsion System Rocket Engine (PSRE) Life Extension Program (LEP).

The PSRE is the fourth and final stage rocket engine on the Minuteman III missile.

This LEP effort involves refurbishing and replacing aged flight hardware and ordnance in this stage to maintain alert-readiness of the missiles.

The $15 million contract, awarded Nov. 28, represents the second of six full-rate production options under the thirteen-year PSRE LEP contract.

Options three through six are expected to be exercised annually by the Air Force through the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2011. These final four options would total $58 million. The PSRE LEP contract began in 2000 and is potentially valued at $155 million over the life of the program.