BOSTON (AP) -- The Maverick missile is supposed to roar out from under the wings of American military aircraft and blast ground targets as far as 15 miles away.
But more than 5,000 missiles built in the early 1990s have been removed from service as Raytheon Co. works to correct defects that have caused them to miss their targets.The malfunctioning missiles have also sparked a lawsuit against the Massachusetts subcontractor that Raytheon claims supplied faulty parts.
"All of the Maverick missiles that are the subject of the lawsuit have been identified, and they are in the process of being repaired or are being stored by the government awaiting repair," Raytheon spokesman David Polk said Thursday. "None are being deployed."
The Air Force discovered the problem during routine testing in 1994, said Col. Bob George, program manager for surface to air munitions at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. He said 44 percent of the missiles in a batch produced under a 1991 defense contract were found to have the defect.
Polk said forces fighting in the Balkans still have access to properly functioning Mavericks.
In its lawsuit, the Lexington-based Raytheon claims Helix Technology Corp. of Mansfield supplied defective cryoengines, a $2,100 part that helps regulate the missile's temperature.
Helix denies manufacturing faulty parts.