Aegis Weapon System News

DDG 125 is named for Pfc. Jack Lucas, who served in the U.S. Marines during World War II, earning the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Iwo Jima, when he was just 17 years old. He is the youngest Marine, and the youngest service member in World War II, to be awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor. In 1961, he returned to military service as a captain in the U.S. Army and trained younger troops headed for Vietnam. Lucas passed away on June 5, 2008, in Hattiesburg…

The U.S. Navy has a balanced fleet, but it wants to grow bigger and better. Will the budget allow both? Maritime Reporter's March 2017 cover story on the U.S. Navy was all about the numbers. There exists several plans to grow the fleet beyond the current number of 308 ships, the Mitre recommendation of 414 ships, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment 340-ship proposal, and the Navy’s decision to grow the fleet to 355 ships, and the Trump administration’s 350. With so many numbers being bandied about, there are even more suggestions on how to get there.

The U.S. Navy conducted a series of cooperative air defense test exercises with the Spanish navy that culminated in live missile firing events using the latest Aegis Weapon System baseline July 20-21. The event was not only the first interoperability test of the latest Aegis Baseline 9.C1 with a foreign ship, but also the first combined Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trial with that country's navy since 2007. Guided-missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) and Spanish frigate Cristobol Colon (F 105) participated in the testing. In addition to live missile firing events, Tactical Data Link interoperability exercises were held July 12-14. "While our combat systems suites are slightly different, the way we operate and execute missions are quite similar," said Cmdr.

The guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) was inducted as the first ship to undergo a modernization effort that will significantly upgrade its capabilities in multiple mission areas, Sept. 25, at Naval Base San Diego. The CG Phased Modernization Program is designed to balance the Navy's long-term requirement for a carrier strike group air defense commander (ADC) platform and its future shipbuilding requirements. "We are saving money, preserving force structure, and generating options for leadership," said Vice Adm. Tom Rowden, commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. As part of the ceremony, Cowpens was transferred from the authority of Rowden to Vice Adm. William Hilarides, commander, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA).

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products was awarded a $32.6 million multi-year contract by the U.S. Navy for the production of MK82 gun and guided-missile directors and MK200 director controllers for six Aegis Weapon System ship sets. The MK82 director, commanded by the MK200 controller, positions the fire control antenna to illuminate targets and provide guidance to missiles used for fleet defense from anti-ship missile threats and for ballistic missile defense. The Aegis Weapon System is the Navy’s most advanced and most capable integrated air and missile defense combat system, the companysaid. Under this new contract the MK82 directors and MK200 director controllers will be installed on the Navy’s DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class ships, starting with DDG 117.

Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors (LM MS2), Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $118,646,449 fixed-price-incentive contract for the production of two multi-mission signal processor equipment sets; three ballistic missile defense 4.0.1 equipment sets; and five Aegis Weapon System upgraded equipment sets to support fielding Aegis modernization capabilities to the fleet. Sets will be delivered to USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51); USS John Paul (DDG 53); USS Benfold (DDG 65); USS Barry (DDG 52); USS Princeton (CG 59); USS Cowpens (CG 63); and USS Gettysburg (CG 64). Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (74 percent), Clearwater, Fla. (25 percent), and Akron, Ohio (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed by September 2013.

Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $44,910,868 cost-plus award/fixed-fee contract for combat systems engineering. The grant will support the government of Australia under the Foreign Military Sales Program - Case AT-P-LCQ – after it selected the Navy/Lockheed Martin Aegis Combat System for its Australian Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Program. These requirements include the necessary combat systems engineering, computer program development, ship integration and test logistics technical services, NSCC/CSEDS equipment, and staging support to design and build an Aegis Weapon System (AWS) baseline to support the AWD Program. The AWD AWS baseline will be derived from a technology refreshed variant of the Navy AWS baseline 7 Phase I.

General Dynamics, National Steel and Shipbuilding Company, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $940,378,173 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-02-C-2300) for two construction options (T-AKE 11 and T-AKE 12) which includes design and construction; technical manuals; special studies, analyses, and reviews; engineering and industrial services; and data and two options for Long Lead Time Material for T-AKE 13 and T-AKE 14. T-AKE is a new Combat Logistics Force Underway Replenishment Naval vessel intended to replace the current capability of the Kilauea-Class (T-AE 26) Ammunition Ship, Mars-Class (T-AFS 1) Combat Stores Ships, and when operating in concert with a Henry J. Kaiser-Class (T-AO 187) Oiler ship, the Sacramento-Class (AOE 1) Fast Combat Support Ship.

Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems-Marine Systems (NGES-MS), Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a $67,687,769 firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive, cost-plus-fixed-fee completion contract to provide for the acquisition of the TRIDENT II (D-5) deployed SSBN and the SSGN Underwater Launcher Systems (ULS), Engineering Refueling Overhaul (ERO) shipyard support, gas generator production, TRIDENT II (D-5) missile tube closure production restart, US and UK launcher trainer support, underwater launcher technology sustainment (ULTS), SSGN Ancillary Hardware, Underwater Launcher System Ancillary Hardware, Launcher Initiation System Ancillary Hardware…

The U.S. Navy has given its final approval for Lockheed Martin to proceed with the integration and shipboard installation of the world's first, fully-open architecture Aegis weapon system for a major surface warship. February 2008. upgrades to the weapon system as they are developed in the future. with Aegis Open Architecture over the next 10 years. Aegis-equipped Arleigh Burke destroyers. hardware and open system software. through the integration of separately developed third party products. system. and control system. globe with more than 20 additional ships planned or under contract. Australia, Japan, Norway, South Korea and Spain.

Lockheed Martin marked the completion of the first Aegis Integrated Weapon System (IWS) with the SPY-1F radar for the Royal Norwegian Navy today with a pull- the-plug ceremony at its Moorestown facility. The system will be packed and shipped to Spanish shipbuilder IZAR for installation on the Fridtjof Nansen, the first ship of the F310 Norwegian frigate program, now under construction in Ferrol, Spain. The system, which includes Lockheed Martin's SPY-1F radar, successfully completed a full range of acceptance tests during the past several months to verify system performance. Today's pull-the-plug ceremony marks the completion of testing and symbolizes the system is ready for shipboard installation.

The Lockheed Martin developed Aegis Weapon System successfully intercepted a ballistic missile target outside the earth's atmosphere during its descent phase of flight today. The Aegis Weapon System, aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), and range sensors confirmed a direct hit of the missile target by a Raytheon-developed Standard Missile (SM)-3 over the Pacific Ocean. In addition to USS Lake Erie, the guided missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) also participated in today's test. USS Russell provided target track information to the USS Lake Erie and components of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense element. This test, Flight Mission (FM)-6, marks the fourth time that the Aegis Weapon System successfully guided its Standard Missile-3 to a ballistic missile target.

Power Paragon, a division of L-3 Communications SPD Technologies, was selected by Bath Iron Works to provide its 288 kW, Air Cooled Frequency Converters (ACFC 288) for the U.S. Navy's DDG 51 Class AEGIS Destroyer, DDG 109. Work associated with this award will be accomplished in the Anaheim, Calif. facility. "This award enhances L-3 Power Paragon's position as a leader in the design, development and manufacture of power subsystems for existing and emerging surface ship and submarine applications," said Bruce R. Moore, president of L-3 Communications Power Paragon. The L-3 Power Paragon ACFC 288 converts ship service 60 Hz electrical power to precise 400 Hz power for vital combat systems such as the AEGIS Weapon System.

Lockheed Martin celebrated completion and delivery of its 50th destroyer-bound Aegis Weapon System today with a "pull-the-plug" ceremony at the company's Moorestown facility. The ceremony marks the completion of testing and signifies that the system is ready for shipboard installation. The system, to be packed and loaded in 23 tractor trailers, will be delivered for installation in the destroyer Kidd (DDG 100). "We at the Navy truly appreciate the consistent quality you put forth on a daily basis," said Fernando Omega, PEO IWS Project Lead for Aegis Weapon System production. "Pulling Plug is the culmination of a team effort extending throughout the entire production process.

Proving the depth of efforts to internationalize business, the Advanced Frigate Consortium (AFCON) announced its intention to design, develop and market a new class of corvette-size ships to meet the emerging needs of international navies. The main players in the consortium include IZAR of Spain, Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works of the U.S. The corvette ship class will be designed with advanced platform, propulsion and combat systems including superior anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The AFCON team will work with international navies to design and develop an affordable, high-performance warship tailored for use in a nation's anti-air, anti-submarine, and anti-surface warfare operations.

The Pearl Harbor-based guided missile cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65) returned to sea for sea trials June 26 to test and validate modifications and newly installed equipment. Her recently completed extended drydocking ship's restricted availability (EDSRA), valued at more than $25 million, was a 232-calendar day overhaul that included modifications to equipment involving every department aboard the ship. Battlegroup. subcontractors. weapons control system (ATWCS) upgrade and an electric galley modification. The hull girder modification, which enhances the ship's survivability during prolonged navigation under extreme weather and sea conditions, was the most extensive undertaking. the vicinity of the forward superstructure. elements while the contractor performed the modifications.

Lockheed Martin, Maritime Systems & Sensors, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $23,119,281 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the operation and maintenance of a limited in-service support program for the Royal Norwegian Navy new frigate (NNF) F310 CL program.These efforts include software baseline development/maintenance, software maintenance management, engineering support, configuration management, logistics repair, spares support and diminishing manufacturing sources/material shortages. This contract supports the Government of Norway under the Foreign Military Sales program. The effort described herein provides limited in-service…

The U.S. Aegis Combat System upgrade ship-set for a cruiser modernization program. operational cost efficiency of up to 22 existing Aegis-equipped cruisers. installed aboard by USS Bunker Hill (CG 52). at Wallops Island and Dahlgren, VA. "The cruiser modernization program is critical to the sustainment of U.S. the Department of Defense," said Capt. Executive Office for Ships. the 1980s and early 1990s. incorporate commercial off-the-shelf equipment and open systems architecture. Deepwater programs. is supporting the U.S. surface ships. component of the sea-based element of the U.S. System. advanced computer-controlled radar system. threat environment in naval warfare.

In a ceremony yesterday attended by Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD), Baltimore County officials and senior U.S. Navy leadership, Lockheed Martin received the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Excellence Award for consistently exceeding design, production, and quality challenges as the prime contractor for the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS), installed aboard the U.S. Navy’s Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers. Capt. Mick Outten, U.S. Navy Program Manager for the MK 41 VLS, said, “I believe that the MK 41 VLS program is one of the great success stories of today’s modern Navy.” He continued, “The MK 41 VLS program is a model…

Lockheed Martin showcased its newest radar capabilities to U.S. Navy officials, legislators and international customers. Lockheed Martin's Moorestown facility is world-renowned for its advanced naval radars, especially its SPY-1 phased array radar. SPY-1 is the main sensor in the Lockheed Martin-developed Aegis Weapon System, which is installed on 65 percent of the U.S. Navy's surface combatants, warships in Japan and Spain, and recently was selected for warships in Norway and Korea. During today's event, Lockheed Martin publicly unveiled its newest radar, the S-Band Advanced Radar, or SBAR. SBAR provides greatly improved detection at much greater ranges than the current SPY-1 radar, a key requirement to counter ballistic missile defense threats. Additionally, SBAR will improve the U.S.

United Defense Industries, Inc. announced the receipt of one of the U.S. Navy’s most prestigious awards, the Theater Surface Combatants Award for Excellence, at its shipyard in Norfolk, Va. The award, formerly titled the AEGIS Excellence Award, was presented to NORSHIPCO, a member of the United States Marine Repair (USMR) family of shipyards, during a ceremony at the yard in August. Rear Adm. William J. Cobb, Jr. presented the award to Tom Epley, NORSHIPCO’s president and general manager, before a room filled with representatives from the Supervisor of Shipbuilding in Portsmouth, Va., Navy officials and shipyard workers. USMR, recently acquired by United Defense, now holds a total of four of these most coveted awards.

Raytheon Company has been awarded two sole source contracts by the U.S. Navy totaling $15.7 million for AEGIS equipment support. A $10.2 million performance based logistics contract renews Raytheon Integrated Defense System's (IDS) direct responsibility for administering AEGIS technical support for spares and repairs requirements of U.S. Navy and Foreign Military Sales customers. A $5.5 million contract calls for upgrading transmitter equipment in the AEGIS Weapon System. The AEGIS program is served by Raytheon's IDS Surveillance & Sensor Systems business area. Raytheon recently commemorated a 25-year milestone of continuous AEGIS equipment production.