The U.S. Navy yesterday awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems-Missiles & Space Operations, Sunnyvale, CA, a $541 million contract for the follow-on production of 12 Trident II D5 fleet ballistic missiles, deployed system support and related technical services.
The contract is one of several scheduled to be awarded to LMSS-MSO until 2005 for production of D5 missiles for retrofit into four of the TRIDENT Ohio-class submarines currently homeported at the navy strategic submarine base in Bangor, Wash.
"This contract continues for the 46th consecutive year, the remarkably successful government-industry partnership between U. S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs and Lockheed Martin", said Steve Parsons, Vice President, Lockheed Martin Strategic Missile Programs. "We look forward to continuing as a member of this unique government-industry team and to providing many more years of support to our valued navy customer".
The 12 missiles being acquired are to support operational deployments aboard the TRIDENT Ohio-class submarines USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730), USS Alabama (SSBN-731), USS Alaska (SSBN-732), and USS Nevada (SSBN-734), which are being converted to carry Trident II D5 missiles. These submarines currently carry Trident I C4 missiles.
Production of these missiles will begin in 2001, with an expected delivery to the Navy in 2003. Since serial production began in 1987, the U.S. Navy has purchased 384 Trident II D5 submarine launched ballistic missiles.
Recently, a D5 missile was successfully flown in a test conducted at the Eastern Test Range off the Florida coast. This missile represented the 90th consecutive successful launch of the Trident II D5 missile and continues the string of successful test launches that began in December 1989. No other large ballistic missile or space launch vehicle in the world has demonstrated such a remarkable record of launch success.
The Navy selected Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space as its prime contractor and missile manufacturer in 1956. Since then, the FBM team has produced six successive generations of Fleet Ballistic Missiles-Polaris (A1), Polaris (A2), Polaris (A3), Poseidon (C3), Trident I (C4) and the Trident II (D5).
Lockheed Martin Space Systems-Missiles & Space Operations, Sunnyvale, Calif., is an operating company within Lockheed Martin Space Systems, headquartered in Denver, CO. It is a world leader in the design, production and integration of systems for space-based telecommunications, defensive and strategic missiles, remote sensing and space science. Its diversified business base ranges from the U.S. government to global commercial customer through its operating unit, Commercial Space Systems.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global enterprise principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's core businesses are systems integration, space, and aeronautics and technology services. Lockheed Martin had 1999 sales surpassing $25 billion and employs approximately 140,000.
