Lockheed Martin officially unveiled an upgraded MK 41 Vertical Launching
System (VLS) production line at its Middle River, Maryland facility.
The MK 41 VLS program supports more than 150 highly skilled jobs in
the Baltimore area and will continue to do so for years to come, thanks
in part to a 2014 U.S. Navy contract for continued VLS production valued
at $235.3 million. |
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The new production contract allowed Lockheed Martin
to design and implement a new, modern production line. As a part of
the modernization effort, the team developed more than 80 new tools
to optimize production flow and build on the line's more than 30 year
on-time delivery record. The modernization became necessary after Lockheed
Martin won a contract to reestablish deck and hatch production at its
Middle River site after more than 20 years.
"We are proud to continue manufacturing the MK 41 VLS in Baltimore
County and bringing this critical capability to the fleets of the U.S.
Navy and its allies," said Stephanie C. Hill, vice president and
general manager of Lockheed Martin's Ship & Aviation Systems business.
"In partnership with the U.S. Navy, we have been delivering, modernizing
and supporting the MK 41 VLS system for more than 30 years. We, along
with our suppliers in Maryland and all over the nation, look forward
to continuing to serve our customer with this critical national defense
capability."
The MK 41 VLS is the international launcher of choice for surface ships,
providing unparalleled flexibility. It is the only launching system
capable launching anti-air, anti-submarine, surface-to-surface and strike
missiles and can receive orders from multiple weapon control systems
to handle every warfighting mission.
The MK 41 VLS fires a wide range of missiles, primarily off of U.S.
Navy cruisers and destroyers. Since the first launcher rolled off of
the Lockheed Martin production line in 1984, the systems have been combat
proven with more than 3,850 successful firings worldwide and a more
than 99 percent success rate. MK41 VLS has been integrated and in service
with the U.S. and 12 allied navies on nearly 200 ships representing
20 ship classes.
On Dec. 12, 2014, Lockheed Martin was competitively awarded a $235.3M
firm-fixed-price contract for MK 41 VLS electronic and mechanical modules
and related equipment. Under this contract which extends through 2022,
Lockheed Martin will produce the launch control units, various electrical
boxes and the mechanical structure, and perform final assembly and test.
The company is also under contract to conduct repairs, distribute, store
and manage spare parts for the MK 41 system for the U.S. Navy.
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