Defence Minister Robert Hill today announced that Raytheon Australia will join Lockheed Martin on the Royal Australian Navy's Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) program as the in-country Combat System-System Engineer (CSSE). The announcement follows the August 2004 selection of Lockheed Martin as the provider of the Aegis Weapon System for the three-ship program.

"We welcome and look forward to working with Raytheon Australia on the AWD program," said Orlando Carvalho, vice president of Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors' Surface Systems line of business. "We have an existing relationship with them on a number of other naval programs in the U.S. and abroad, including the U.S. Navy Aegis program. By partnering with Australian industry, we believe that Aegis will contribute significantly to increased interoperability for both Australia and the United States."

Mick Aylward, AWD program manager at Lockheed Martin Australia, added that Raytheon Australia is a welcome addition to the AWD team.

"The government team is doing an excellent job keeping the program on schedule," said Aylward. "We look forward to the forthcoming appointment of the shipbuilder and ship designer."

The Aegis Weapon System includes the SPY-1D(V) radar, the world's most advanced computer-controlled radar system. When paired with the MK 41 Vertical Launching System, it is capable of delivering missiles for every mission and threat environment in naval warfare. The Aegis Weapon System has been deployed on more than 75 ships around the world, with 30 more ships planned. In addition to the U.S. and Australia, Aegis is the weapon system of choice for Japan, Korea, Norway and Spain.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin