Lockheed Martin contract for sustainment of the Littoral Combat Ship Component Based Total Ship System.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $98,674,505 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price and cost contract for sustainment of the Littoral Combat Ship Component Based Total Ship System – 21st Century -(LCS COMBATSS-21); and associated combat system elements.

The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) operates in company of the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). (Picture source U.S. Navy)

The work executed under this contract will include maintenance and evolution of the LCS COMBATSS-21 (the backbone of the ship's mission system) and associated combat system elements in support of operational LCS ships.

The work includes development, integration, test and delivery of future combat system baseline upgrades for in-service ships, supporting ship integration, installation and checkout, developmental test/operational test, developing training and logistics products, providing field technical support for combat systems, providing hardware engineering, equipment procurement and providing life-cycle supportability engineering and fleet support for fielded baselines.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin (for the odd-numbered hulls, e.g. LCS 1). It is a steel monohull design constructed by Lockheed Martin in the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corporation's shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin.

The Independence variant is an aluminum trimaran design originally built by an industry team led by General Dynamics Bath Iron Works for LCS 2 and LCS 4. Currently, Independence variant LCS (LCS 6 and subsequent even-numbered hulls) are constructed by Austal USA in the company's Mobile, Alabama, shipyard.