BAE Systems, Inc. has secured a five-year, $188.2 million contract for upgrades and improvements to AEGIS weapons and Combat Systems aboard U.S. Navy surface combatant ships. According to the contract, BAE will provide the Navy’s AEGIS Technical Representative (AEGIS TECHREP) organization with large-scale system design and development engineering, integration and testing to maintain and continue to enhance the performance of each AEGIS weapons system (AWS) aboard these Navy vessels.
AEGIS is one of the better-known, more comprehensive shipboard weapons systems employed by U.S. and allied forces, capable of detecting and destroying a target from a distance. The AWS is an automated command-and-control (C2) weapons system built around the AN/SPY phased-array radar system. The high-power radar can perform search, track, and missile-guidance functions simultaneously with enough capacity to handle more than 100 targets.
“BAE Systems personnel have worked side-by-side with Navy sailors and civilians for nearly 40 years to strengthen and modernize the fleet of AEGIS-equipped surface ships,” said Mark Keeler, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems’ Integrated Defense Solutions business. “Our team brings a wealth of AEGIS combat system expertise with the agility, innovation and technical acumen to ensure the U.S. Navy has the safe and effective combat capability it needs to meet mission objectives.”
As part of the contract, BAE Systems will provide Navy acquisition managers with management and engineering to validate total ship combat design at several Navy sites: Mt. Laurel, N.J.; Bath, Maine; and Pascagoula, Miss. BAE Systems will also aid naval personnel on the testing and optimization of the electronic systems and offer guidance on improved operation under different conditions. This will involve providing logistics, cybersecurity, production, acquisition and waterfront support as needed to maintain and upgrade the AWS equipment aboard the naval vessels at these ports.
The AEGIS system was developed by the Missile and Surface Radar Div. of RCA and is now produced by Lockheed Martin. It is used internationally by many other naval forces, including the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal Norwegian Navy, the Republic of Korea Navy, the Spanish Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.