The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a $135-million contract modification for continued work on the Trident II D5 Life Extension program. The award is in addition to the $654.9-million contract awarded to Lockheed Martin earlier this year for fiscal year 2007 production and deployed systems support for the Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program.

The D5 Life Extension program will ensure a sufficient inventory of missiles to support the service life of the Navy's Trident II Ohio-class submarines, which has been extended to 2042. Lengthening the operational deployment of the Trident II D5 weapons system by an anticipated 14 years, the program will maintain a full force of operational missiles on the submarines and allow for disarmed missiles to be expended in routine test launches, providing continued assurance of safety, reliability, readiness and performance. Deliveries under the original D5 contract, which called for production of 425 missiles, began in 1989, and the final two missiles are scheduled for delivery this year. D5 Life Extension missile deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2011, with up to 108 additional missiles being delivered by 2017.

Under the fiscal year 2007 contract modification, work continues on updates to the missile's electronics using current technology and components. The missile's guidance and reentry systems also are being updated. Lockheed Martin performs D5 Life Extension design and development primarily in Sunnyvale, Calif.

"Under the leadership of our Navy customer, the Life Extension modifications will add significant years to the important strategic mission of the D5 missile," said Katharine Augason, D5 Life Extension program director, Strategic Missile Programs, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company.

First deployed in 1990, the D5 missile is currently deployed aboard 12 Trident II Ohio-class submarines. The three-stage, solid-propellant, inertial-guided ballistic missile can travel a nominal range of 4,000 nautical miles and carries multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles. The Navy has conducted 117 successful D5 test launches consecutively since 1989.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, Calif., is the prime strategic Fleet Ballistic Missile contractor and missile system program manager for the U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Programs. Approximately 2,400 Lockheed Martin Space Systems employees, principally in California, Georgia, Florida, Washington and Utah, support the design, development, production, test and operation of the Trident strategic weapon system.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2006 sales of $39.6 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company