May 25 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin Rotary and Missile Systems has received a $79.9 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense for technical and program management support services for the Trident II D5 Shipboard System Integration, or SSI, with the program focusing on the missile system's navigation subsystem.
The contract covers navigation hardware, software design, installation and services for the Incremental Fleet support services. It will apply to both the U.S. and British fleet of Trident II ballistic missiles.
Work under the contract will include gyro-modification, repairs and modernization of the SSI, as well as trainer development. Work will be conducted in Mitchel Field, N.Y., Oldsmar, Fla., and several other locations in the United States. The program is expected to be completed by December 31, 2018.
The maximum value of the contract, if a one-year option is exercised is $87.3 million. Fiscal 2017 U.S. Navy funds in the amount of $71.7 million, British funds of $6.5 million, and research and development funds of $1.7 million will be allocated for the program. The contract was non-competitive and sole-source.
The Trident II D5 submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is the primary undersea nuclear deterrent for both the U.S. and British navies. It is carried on U.S. Ohio-class and British Vanguard-class submarines.
Each Trident II D5 missile can carry Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles, or MIRV, allowing multiple warheads from a single missile to shower a target area. They serve as a valuable deterrent weapon in case land- and air-based nuclear forces are destroyed in an enemy first strike.
