Lockheed Martin awarded contract for combat system integration on FFG(X) frigates by US Navy.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, has been awarded a contract, worth $US 7 million, for combat system ship integration and test on U.S. Navy's new FFG(X) guided-missile frigates.

Designs of the FFG(X) by the four contenders to the RFP issued by the U.S. Navy (Picture Source: USNI)

The cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and firm-fixed-price was awarded by the U.S. Department of Navy’s Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). This contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to around $US 125 million.

The work executed under this contract includes combat system (CS) ship integration engineering support and test planning, conducting a waterfront CS ship integration and test program, post-delivery engineering support to government test teams, engineering services for CS ship integration and test and developing test program documents for FFG(X) ships.

On June 20, the Navy released a request for proposal (RFP) for the FFG(X) detail design and construction (DD&C) contract for the first 10 ships (one base ship and nine option ships). The RFP provides for full and open competition and will result in a contract awarded to one company in fiscal year 2020.

The competitors for this contract are Austal USA, Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM - a subsidiary of Fincantieri), General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (a subsidiary of General Dynamics) and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). Initially, Lockheed Martin also offered a design based on its Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) but announced in May 2019 that the company was pulling out of the competition.