U.S. Navy certifies Aegis upgrade

• Tweet

MOORESTOWN, N.J., April 19 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin's latest enhancement of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System has passed muster with the U.S. Navy and is ready for installation.

Aegis BMD 4.0.1 features a new signal processor for improved target identification capabilities. It also uses open architecture standards to integrate commercial-off-the-shelf technology.

The first ship to receive the second-generation upgrade will be the USS Shiloh (CG-67), a Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser homeported in Yokosuka, Japan.

"This milestone represents the continuing evolution of Aegis Combat System capabilities and our commitment to advancing the Aegis system to outpace enemy threats," said Nick Bucci, director of BMD development programs at Lockheed Martin's Mission Systems and Sensors business.

"It is the first step toward a fully open architecture that enables systems to be upgraded faster and at a lower cost."

Aegis BMD provides a defense capability against short-to-intermediate range ballistic missiles. It also provides surveillance and tracking of ballistic missiles of all ranges.