Article Posted on : - Jul 23, 2014

MCLEAN, VIRGINIA (BNS): The US Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a $12 million task order for a full range of engineering services to continue modernizing the Ship Self-Defense System Mark 2 (SSDS MK2).

The contract has a potential value of $61 million over five years, if all options are exercised, the Company said.

SSDS MK2 is a combat system designed for anti-air defence of US and coalition partner aircraft carriers and amphibious ships.

The system coordinates the ship's existing sensors, self-defence weapons and countermeasures to shorten the detect-to-engage cycle.

The task order was awarded under the SeaPort-e indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract vehicle.

Northrop Grumman will provide life cycle engineering, system engineering and integration, and hardware prototype development. Replacing obsolete components with open systems COTS computing hardware will allow adaptable deployment of more current and secure capabilities, it added.