Navy awards deal for SSDS improvements

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Oct. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has modified a contract with Raytheon to continue its support for the Ship Self-Defense System on aircraft carriers and other naval vessels.

U.S. company Raytheon was awarded the Navy contract modification to provide ongoing improvements to the SSDS as a platform systems engineering provider.

Under the $9.6 million deal, Raytheon will work to improve naval vessel capabilities for the Zumwalt-class destroyer program integrating the Dual Band Radar technology among other SSDS platform improvements including systems and software engineering services.

"The Ship Self-Defense System has clearly demonstrated the benefits that open architecture technology provides the Navy, including the ability to upgrade system capabilities with relative ease," Robert Martin, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, vice president and deputy of Seapower Capability Systems, said in a statement.

"The system's high level of capability, affordability and modularity enables the Navy to defend against today's threats while providing the flexibility to adapt to counter the threats of tomorrow."