U.S. Navy awards Lockheed Martin $184M contract to continue providing electronic-warfare systems

SALINA, N.Y. — The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) a $184 million contract to continue providing electronic-warfare systems.

They’re officially known as surface electronic warfare improvement program (SEWIP) block 2 systems, the Bethesda, Maryland–based defense contractor said in a news release.

The firm’s plant in the town of Salina handles the production work on the systems.

SEWIP is a program to upgrade the existing AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic-warfare system. SEWIP block 2 will expand upon the receiver/antenna group necessary to keep capabilities current with the pace of the threat and to yield improved system integration.

Under this full-rate production contract, Lockheed Martin will continue providing and upgrading the AN/SLQ-32 systems on U.S. aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and other warships with key capabilities that determine if the electronic sensors of potential foes are tracking the ship.

“We are honored to continue to provide this critical fleet defense capability that our warfighters rely on while they perform their mission worldwide,” Joe Ottaviano, director of the integrated electronic-warfare program for Lockheed Martin’s rotary and mission systems business unit, said in the release. “Threats are changing and evolving faster with advanced technologies and the SEWIP system will give the U.S. Navy the advantage of remaining one step ahead of our adversaries.”

The U.S. Navy awarded the company an initial $148.9 million contract for production of SEWIP block 2 systems in 2016 with four additional option years to upgrade the fleet’s electronic-warfare capabilities so the Navy can respond to evolving threats.

Lockheed Martin has provided the U.S. Navy with SEWIP block 2 development, production and engineering services since 2009. It has been “delivering and supporting the installation” of SEWIP block 2 systems as the Navy upgrades electronic-warfare defenses against anti-ship missile threats fleet wide, the firm added.

Additionally, Lockheed is performing AN/SLQ-32(V)6 design agent engineering services at the “Electronic Warfare Center of Excellence” in the Salina facility, Lockheed Martin said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com