New Zealand Navy getting combat management system from Lockheed Martin

OTTAWA, May 1 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin Canada is upgrading New Zealand’s ANZAC frigates with its combat management system under a contract worth nearly $197 million.

The naval combat systems integrator said the award covers two ships -- Te Mana and Te Kaha – and is the first international order for its product.

“To have another country select our CMS is tremendously rewarding to our employees and the government of Canada, with whom we’ve worked for more than three decades on similar naval programs,” said Rosemary Chapdelaine, president of Lockheed Martin Canada.

“This key export of Canadian-designed technology not only reinforces Lockheed Martin’s position as a world leader in naval combat systems integration but further demonstrates our ability to successfully leverage purchases and investments in high-technology defense products to create jobs and economic growth in Canada, one of the key objectives set forth in the recently launched Defense Procurement Strategy in Canada.”

Under the award, Lockheed Martin Canada will also be responsible for the design, installation and integration of the CMS and Combat System Trainer for the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland.

The company’s combat management system to be supplied is a commercial variant of systems developed for the Royal Canadian Navy. It leverages utilizes an open architecture concept to give users maximum flexibility to incorporate individual sub-systems and components.