The U.S. Navy recently awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.3 million foreign military sales contract to continue concept and preliminary design work on the proposed Israeli Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), known as LCS-I. Under the latest contract, Lockheed Martin will work with the U.S. and Israeli navies to develop a technical specification and acquisition cost package for the LCS-I combat system.

During the nine-month combat system configuration phase, Lockheed Martin will examine the combat system performance of LCS-I using two different radar options: the advanced radar under development by Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) and Lockheed Martin's SPY-1F radar. The team will examine the performance of these two radar options using the COMBATSS-21 combat management system integrated with the Israeli Navy Command and Control (IC2) system and develop the technical architecture, high level specifications and estimated costs to integrate COMBATSS-21 with IC2 and multiple Israeli and U.S. sensor and weapon systems including the MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS), Typhoon gun and Barak missile. Lockheed Martin is currently partnered with Rafael Armament Systems, Elbit Systems and Ness on LCS-I.

Lockheed Martin received an initial contract from the Israeli Navy in February 2006 to perform a feasibility study for a multi-mission LCS variant. The study, successfully completed in April 2007, resulted in the Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) decision to approve initial funding for two multi- mission ships currently based on an LCS-I design that would include anti-air, anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-missile warfare missions, as well as special operations. LCS-I combines the speed, flexibility and survivability of the U.S. Navy LCS with a multi-mission combat system.

The LCS-I variant leverages the flexibility of the U.S. Navy design and the mission module space to provide multi-mission capability. LCS-I's propulsion system is a combined diesel and gas turbine with steerable waterjets. The weapon systems aboard LCS-I include the STANDARD Missile 2, Harpoon and MK 32 torpedo tubes and selected Israeli Navy systems.

"The feasibility study successfully validated the capability of the Lockheed Martin LCS design to support the Israeli Navy's multi-mission requirements. LCS-I will provide the Israeli Defense Force a strategic asset, fully interoperable with the U.S. Navy, to support both asymmetric warfare and broader national security roles," said Joshua Shani, vice president of Lockheed Martin Israel Operations. "Lockheed Martin will continue to work closely with the Israeli Navy, the U.S. Navy and Israeli industry during the combat system configuration phase."

The first LCS for the U.S. Navy, Freedom (LCS 1), continues outfitting and testing at Marinette Marine Corp. in Marinette, WI. Scheduled for delivery in 2008, Freedom will be homeported in San Diego, CA.

The Lockheed Martin team design, a semi-planing steel monohull. This design provides outstanding maneuverability with proven seakeeping characteristics to support launch and recovery operations, mission execution and optimum crew comfort. The Lockheed Martin-led team includes naval architect Gibbs & Cox, ship builders Marinette Marine, a subsidiary of The Manitowoc Company, Inc., , and Bollinger Shipyards, as well as best-of-industry domestic and international teammates to provide a flexible, low-risk warfighting solution.

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.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin