Focused-Mission Ship Concept Studies Contract Awarded

Six companies are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price contract worth $500,000 for the performance of focused-mission ship concept studies intended to explore a range of approaches in an overall effort to define future ship requirements. These studies will further refine the Navy's requirements and knowledge of technology options for the proposed Littoral Combat Ship and other future ship classes. This is a part of the Naval services tranformation into the 21st Century and lays the foundation for future warships. The focused-mission ship to be studied is envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals. Its primary missions would be prosecution of small boats, mine-countermeasures, and littoral anti-submarine warfare. The companies, Bath Iron Works Corp., Bath, Maine; Gibbs & Cox, Inc., Arlington, Va.; John J. McMullen Associates, Inc., Alexandria, Va.; Lockheed Martin, Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems - Marine System, Baltimore; Northrop Grumman - Ship Systems, Pascagoula, Miss.; and Textron Systems, Marine & Land Operations, New Orleans; will each perform a 90-day ship concept study to research innovative concepts for a focused-mission, high-speed ship. These contracts are awarded following a full and open competition, during which eighteen offers were received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.