Lockheed Martin U.K. has been awarded a seven-year contract to provide combat system upgrades to the sonar systems aboard four Royal Navy Vanguard Class ballistic missile submarines. More than 70 percent of the work will be performed in the United Kingdom.

The Vanguard Class submarine's 2054 sonar suite is facing near-term obsolescence. Lockheed Martin will use the Acoustic Rapid Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Insertion (ARCI) business model, proven in U.S. Navy service, to provide the Royal Navy submarine force with an open- architecture system that will negate obsolescence issues. The move to an open architecture also will make it easier for the Royal Navy to continuously refresh its Sonar 2054 suites as new technologies become available.

The ARCI program has been providing continuously increasing sonar capability at decreasing cost to the U.S. Navy's submarine force since 1998.

"Winning this contract is a significant milestone for us," said Ian Stopps, chief executive of Lockheed Martin U.K. "Not only does it demonstrate our commitment to the sonar marketplace but by importing and indigenizing a range of highly specialized skills, we will help the U.K. maintain and develop sovereign capability in this important area now and in the future. We have a unique understanding of systems integration in the U.K. and are looking forward to bringing new capability to the Vanguard fleet."

"We are extremely pleased by our selection as the lead integrator for the Royal Navy's Sonar 2054 program," said John O'Neill, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin's Undersea Systems line of business. "We look forward to working with the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense on this important program and to employing an open business model that maximizes participation by U.K. small and medium-sized enterprises."

Much of the Sonar 2054 work will be performed at existing Lockheed Martin U.K. facilities, including an integration center in Havant and the Swift Laboratory, a new demonstration and experimentation center in Farnborough that opened in June 2006.

Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin