The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin an additional $147 million contract
to upgrade the fleet’s electronic warfare defenses against evolving
threats, such as anti-ship missiles. Under this low-rate initial production
contract for Block 2 of the Navy’s Surface Electronic Warfare
Improvement Program (SEWIP), Lockheed Martin will provide 14 systems
to upgrade the AN/SLQ-32(V)2 system on all U.S. aircraft carriers, cruisers,
destroyers and other warships with key capabilities to determine if
the electronic sensors of potential foes are tracking the ship. |
“This
subsequent SEWIP Block 2 contract continues our support of the U.S.
Navy with capabilities that will rapidly introduce new technology to
the sailors,” said Joe Ottaviano, SEWIP program director for Lockheed
Martin Mission Systems and Training. “Our fleets are facing a
rapidly changing threat environment in theaters across the globe. This
contract allows us to continue providing much needed technological advances
that will help outpace our adversaries and protect our warfighters.”
Block 2 is the latest in an evolutionary succession of improvement “blocks”
the Navy is pursuing for its shipboard electronic warfare system, which
will incrementally add new defensive technologies and functional capabilities.
In 2013, Lockheed Martin was awarded 10 systems as part of low-rate
initial production, which the company is now in the process of delivering
to the fleet. In July, the Navy installed Lockheed Martin’s SEWIP
Block 2 system on USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) for operational testing.
Work on the SEWIP program will be performed at the company’s Syracuse,
New York, facility. |
U.S. Navy installed the Lockheed Martin SEWIP Block 2 System on DDG-96
for operational testing over the summer.