Lockheed Martin won't submit Freedom LCS design for the FFG(X) contest.

On Tuesday, May 28, Lockheed Martin's officials apparently told USNI News that the company wouldn't submit any bid to compete in the design of the Navy's next-generation guided-missile frigate, designated as FFG(X), competition.

Lockheed Martin FFG(X) design (Picture Source: Lockheed Martin)

The company elected to focus on its involvement developing the frigate combat system and other systems rather than forward its Freedom-class LCS design for the detailed design and construction contract Naval Sea Systems Command plans to issue this summer, Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin vice president of small combatants and ship systems, told USNI News.

“We reviewed the entire program and obviously, given some of the stuff that has already happened that is outside of the contract for the program – that includes the designation of our combat management system, COMBATSS 21, derived off of Aegis; we have the Mk-41 vertical launch system; the processing for our anti-submarine warfare area; advanced [electronic warfare] and platform integration,” he said. “As we evaluated all of those different areas, we determined not to pursue, as a prime contractor, the FFG(X) detailed design and construction.” he then added.

Lockheed Martin, if it had won the business, would have intended to build the frigate at the Fincantieri Marine-owned Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin. Likewise, Fincantieri is set to build its FFG(X), based on its Italian Fregata europea multi-missione (FREMM) design at the same yard.

Other contractors for the FFG(X) design are the companies Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), Austal USA, Fincantieri Marine (as we just said) and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (a division of General Dynamics).

While Lockheed is moving away from leading a frigate team, the company will be heavily involved with whoever wins. The FFG(X)’s COMBATSS-21 Combat Management System will be derived from the company’s Aegis Combat System, and Lockheed Martin makes the ship’s vertical launch system.