The Republic of Korea ship Sejong the Great, supported by the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin , successfully completed a three-week series of trials for the ship's combat system.

The Combat System Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT) were conducted at sea and took place at the Pacific Missile Range Facility off the Hawaiian island of Kauai.

During the CSSQT, the ship's Aegis Combat System was evaluated for combat-readiness through comprehensive surface, subsurface and anti-air warfare exercises, as well as thorough testing of the system's tactical data link capabilities. The anti-air warfare exercises included manned aircraft raids, electronic attack scenarios and live Standard Missile-2 and Rolling Airframe Missile air defense engagements, The Aegis Weapon System performed flawlessly throughout the exercises.

"These trials prove that Sejong the Great's Aegis Combat System, ship and crew are fully ready for operational deployment," said Jeff Bantle, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors in Moorestown, N.J. "This first-of-class ship brings unprecedented air defense, anti-submarine, anti-surface and self-defense capabilities to the Republic of Korea Navy. We take great pride in contributing to the continuing partnership between the U.S. and Republic of Korea navies through our role on the KDX-III Aegis Destroyer program."

ROKS Sejong the Great (DDG-991) was launched on May 25, 2007 and commissioned on January 2, 2009. It is the first of three KDX-III destroyers being built by the Republic of Korea. At 8,500 tons standard displacement and 10,000 tons fully loaded, the KDX-III destroyers are the largest surface warships carrying the Aegis Combat System.

The Aegis Weapon System includes Lockheed Martin's SPY-1 radar, the Navy's most advanced 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 is deployed on 93 ships around the globe with at least 13 more ships planned. In addition to the U.S. and the Republic of Korea, Aegis is the weapon system of choice for Australia, Japan, Norway and Spain. Aegis-equipped ships have more than 1,200 years of at-sea operational experience and have launched more than 3,800 missiles in tests and real-world operations.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.5 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin