Raytheon Co. has picked up a $170 million contract to supply two variations of infrared Maverick air-to-surface missiles to the United Arab Emirates.

The sale concerns the AGM-65D and AGMG2 infrared-guided missiles that gained fame during the U.S.-led operation Desert Storm.

A Raytheon statement issued at an ongoing air show in Singapore said the U.S. Air Force awarded the contract under the Foreign Military Sales program managed by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

"Raytheon will build and provide life-cycle support for more than 500 missiles," the statement said. "The company began production of the missile's infrared guidance and control sections in November 2008."

The Maverick missile, powered by a Thiokol TX-481 solid-propellant rocket motor, is produced in three versions: TV-guided, image infrared and laser-guided.

The specific purchase affords missiles the ability to be used during nighttime operations and in severe weather conditions. They can be fired from a fleet of F-16 fighter jets controlled by the United Arab Emirates.

Experts say the infrared seeker presents a TV-like image on the cockpit display as it senses small differences in energy between targets and their surrounding background.

"It is an affordable, combat-proven missile integrated on more than 25 aircraft with a history of on-cost and on-schedule delivery," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile System's Air Warfare Systems' product line.

"While the Maverick family is a best-valued solution for the warfighter who needs a direct-attack weapon, the infrared guided Maverick is ideally suited to counter high-speed maneuvering sea targets such as swarming boats," he added.

With its missile division based in Tucson and the operation employing more than 11,000 workers, Raytheon has been a popular defense supplier worldwide.

The Maverick missiles have been deployed in more than 33 countries. More than 69,000 AGM-65s have been produced. Of them, an estimated 6,000 have been used in combat with a precision hit rate of 93 percent, experts say.

The missiles have been in operation for more than 25 years. The AGM-65D uses a 125-pound warhead with a forward-firing conical-shaped charge for armor penetration. Alternatively, the AGM-65G employs a 300-pound blast fragmentation warhead, developed for larger targets.

The U.A.E. sales come amid a drive by the U.S. military brass to expand land- and sea-based missile defense systems in and around the Gulf to counter what it perceives to be Iran's growing missile threat.