Article Posted on : - Nov 15, 2010

MOORESTOWN (BNS): The US Navy has awarded a $97 million contract to Lockheed Martin for the production of Aegis Weapon System for its DDG-113 Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer, plus advanced procurement funding for two more such destroyers – DDG 114 and DDG 115.

Under the contract, Lockheed will produce a total of four Aegis multi-mission signal processors, with the additional unit meant for the Navy’s Surface Combat System Center on Wallops Island, Virginia, the company said.

The contract also contains an option for an Aegis Ashore system, which will adapt the sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense technology to a land-based system to protect US and allied troops in Europe against short- and medium-range ballistic missile threats, Lockheed said.

The Aegis is an integrated naval weapon system installed on over 70 US Navy cruisers and destroyers. The combat system, which has been designed to engage ballistic missiles with the SM-3 missile, is also the weapon of choice for Australia, Japan, Norway, South Korea and Spain.