Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems (NE&SS)-Surface Systems has received $182.5 million as part of a multi-year contract from the US Navy for the production of three Aegis Weapon Systems. The three Baseline 7 Phase 1 Aegis Weapon Systems incorporate the latest technology that enables Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to intercept and destroy incoming ballistic missiles.
The current award is part of a multi-year funding agreement between Lockheed Martin and the Navy, which began in 1998, for the production of 13 Aegis Weapon Systems.
"The advanced technology of the Baseline 7 Phase 1 system integrates area ballistic missile defence with anti-air warfare, along with the most advanced commercial-off-the-shelf computer technology and the Navy's most advanced phased array radar AN/SPY-1D(V)," said Fred P. Moosally, president, Surface Systems.
Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will begin delivering systems in April of this year and continue through January 2007. Lockheed Martin is the Aegis Combat System Engineering Agent responsible for the design and integration of a complete shipboard, multi-warfare combat system which encompasses detection, command and control, weapon and support systems for the Aegis class of guided missile cruisers and destroyers.
From inception, the Aegis Programme has been designed for technology insertion. Aegis ships have seen a continuous stream of innovation including the introduction of the Vertical Launching System and Tomahawk missiles. They are the first to deploy ballistic missile defence while also being able to defeat anti-air warfare threats, or incoming missiles.