Lockheed Martin awarded $84.9 million Navy contract for AEGIS system development

May 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin an $84.9 million contract modification for work on the AEGIS weapons system, the Defense Department announced.

The contract is a cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to a prior contract, the Defense Department said on Tuesday. It covers combat system engineering, architecture, development, integration and testing; Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air integration and testing, and training, studies and computer program maintenance.

The AEGIS system, a part of NATO's missile defense system, uses computer and radar technology to track and guide weapons to destroy enemy targets. It was originated by the U.S. Navy and now is used by the navies of Japan, Spain, Norway, South Korea and Australia, with over 100 Aegis-equipped ships deployed.

The NIFC-CA, an upgrade of the AEGIS system, blends the Navy's surface weapon systems with carrier-based aircraft to create a targeting web of sensors with high-volume data links to find and destroy incoming missiles.

The latest AEGIS technology, called Baseline 9, uses open architecture framework for improvements. Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin's Moorestown, N.J., facility, to be completed by December. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., is the contracting agent.