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Lockheed Martin received funding for development and integration of the Aegis combat system solution to equip the Royal Canadian Navy's new River-class destroyers, shown here in a rendering. (Royal Canadian Navy)
Lockheed Martin received a three-year USD280.4 million contract modification on 17 January from US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) to fund continued development and integration of the Aegis combat system solution to equip the Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN's) new River-class destroyers.
The Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract modification award covers combat systems engineering efforts to be undertaken by Lockheed Martin's Rotary and Mission Systems business in Moorestown, New Jersey.
The River-class destroyer programme β previously known as the Canadian Surface Combatant β involves the building, integration, and delivery of 15 new ships to replace the RCN's 12 current Halifax-class frigates and four now-retired Iroquois-class destroyers. Irving Shipbuilding Inc will build the ships at its shipyard in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy; Lockheed Martin Canada leads the associated industry design team selected to deliver the ship design, which is based on the same platform design as the UK Royal Navy's Type 26 frigate.
The River class will integrate Aegis as the centrepiece of an above-water combat system featuring the Aegis Weapon Control System, AN/SPY-7(V)3 radar system, Mk 41 vertical launch system (24 cells), Cooperative Engagement Capability, and the Standard Missile-2 Block IIICU and Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Block 2 effectors. Aegis is being complemented by a Canadian Tactical Interface β loosely based on Lockheed Martin Canada's CMS-330 product β which affords a capability to integrate non-US systems into the wider combat system.
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