Lockheed Martin wins new Trident contract

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has won a new U.S. Navy contract to maintain the Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missiles.

"The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract valued at $849 million for fiscal year 2008 production and deployed system support for the Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile -- FBM -- program," the company said in a statement last week.

"Work under the contract includes D5 production support, including reentry system hardware, and operations and maintenance to support the readiness and reliability of missile systems deployed aboard FBM submarines and at on-shore facilities," Lockheed Martin said.

"The contract also continues D5 Life Extension development work. Deliveries under the original D5 contract, which called for production of 425 missiles, began in 1989 and concluded in 2007. D5 Life Extension missile deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2011, with a minimum of 108 additional missiles being delivered by 2017. The D5 Life Extension program will support the service life of the Navy's Trident II Ohio-class submarines, which has been extended to 2042," the company said.

"Under the leadership of our Navy customer, we will continue our work in support of the D5 missile while continuing to prepare for the Navy's transition to the D5 Life Extension missile," said Tory Bruno, vice president and general manager of Strategic Missile Programs, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.

"First deployed in 1990 and scheduled for operational deployment until 2042, the Trident II D5 is aboard Trident II-configured Ohio-class submarines. The three-stage, solid-propellant, inertial-guided ballistic missile has a nominal range of 4,000 nautical miles and carries multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles," Lockheed Martin said.

Lockheed Martin said its Space Systems Company in Sunnyvale, Calif., was "the prime strategic missile contractor and missile system program manager for the U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Programs."

"Approximately 2,400 Lockheed Martin Space Systems employees, principally in California, Georgia, Florida, Washington and Utah, support the design, development, production, test and operation of the Trident strategic weapon system," the company said.