MOORESTOWN, N.J., Sept. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Expanding upon a 40-year legacy integrating the U.S. Navy's Aegis Combat System, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will continue to modernize Aegis hardware and software onboard Navy vessels as part of a recent contract award.

In the next phase of integrating the Aegis Combat System on the U.S. Navy's fleet, Lockheed Martin has won a ten-year contract that will, with options, have the potential to be worth about $428 million. The Ship Integration & Test (SI&T) program will integrate Aegis onboard new Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, and modernize destroyers and cruisers to operate the latest iteration of the Aegis configuration, called Baseline 9.

Through Baseline 9, ships can simultaneously defend against airborne threats, such as aircraft or cruise missiles, while also targeting and intercepting ballistic missiles. It is the only naval combat system in the world to demonstrate the ability to conduct integrated air and missile defense simultaneously.

"When a ship goes into harm's way, the combat system must work 100 percent of the time – there is no margin of error," said Chris Minster, SI&T senior program manager of Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training. "Whether it is designing a system for a brand new ship or working hand-in-hand with sailors pierside, Ship Integration and Test is there to deliver."

Lockheed Martin's SI&T team delivers both planned upgrades and engineered innovations to make ships more capable and survivable. In tandem with SI&T, Lockheed Martin also provides engineering services including design, development, integration, test and life cycle support for all Aegis-equipped ships through the Combat System Engineering Agent (CSEA) contract, which was re-awarded to Lockheed Martin in 2013.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/aegis.

About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 112,000 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 net sales for 2014 were $45.6 billion. 

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SOURCE Lockheed Martin