The
U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $154 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 additional systems to
upgrade the AN/SLQ-32 systems on 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. |
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“We’re
proud to continue supporting the U.S. Navy with capabilities delivered
on schedule to rapidly introduce new technology to the sailors,”
said Joe Ottaviano, Electronic Warfare 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 U.S. Navy is pursuing for its shipboard electronic warfare system,
which will incrementally add new defensive technologies and functional
capabilities. In 2013 and 2014, Lockheed Martin was awarded 24 systems
as part of low-rate initial production, the first 10 of which have been
delivered to the Navy on schedule.
Work on the SEWIP program will be performed at the company’s Syracuse,
New York, facility. |
AN/SLQ-32
Electronic Warfare (EW) system aboard the USS MCFAUL