Navy orders more laser-guided training rounds

ARCHBALD, Pa., April 15 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin is to produce additional Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds for the U.S. Navy under the service's exercise of a contract option.

The ELGRT is a live-fire training solution that emulates the flight characteristics of Paveway II laser-guided bomb system and presents pilots with the same information they would see during an actual mission.

The system is compatible with F/A-18, AV-8B, F-16 and various international aircraft platforms.

The option -- the fourth and final one under a 2013 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract -- is worth $25.8 million.

Lockheed Martin said that it is also to supply the Navy with refurbished reusable shipping containers.

"The U.S. Navy and 10 international partner countries rely on ELGTR for their Paveway II Laser Guided Bomb training programs," said Joe Serra, precision guided systems program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "ELGTR ensures U.S. and allied warfighters can hone their skills in order to maintain mission readiness."

Lockheed Martin has so far produced more than 150,000 advanced training rounds for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and international customers. The exercise of the contract option extends its ELGTR production to late 2018.