Lockheed Martin provides the US Navy’s SEWIP Block 2 system with enhanced electronic warfare capabilities to existing and new ship combat systems. Credit: Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Lockheed Martin has received a $184m contract from the US Navy to exercise options for full-rate production (FRP) of surface electronic warfare improvement program (SEWIP) Block 2 systems.

The firm-fixed-price order is a modification to a previously awarded contract and requires Lockheed Martin to continue providing and upgrading the AN/SLQ-32 systems on US aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and other warships with key capabilities.

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These capabilities will allow the Navy to know if the electronic sensors of potential adversaries are tracking the ship.

Lockheed Martin secured an initial $148.9m contract in 2016 for FRP of SEWIP Block 2 systems. The contract included four additional option years to upgrade the fleet’s electronic warfare capabilities to enable warfighters to mitigate missile threats.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems Integrated Electronic Warfare programme director Joe Ottaviano said: “We are honoured to continue to provide this critical fleet defence capability that our warfighters rely on while they perform their mission worldwide.

"Threats are changing and evolving faster with advanced technologies and the SEWIP system will give the US Navy the advantage of remaining one step ahead of our adversaries."

“Threats are changing and evolving faster with advanced technologies and the SEWIP system will give the US Navy the advantage of remaining one step ahead of our adversaries.”

The SEWIP is an evolutionary development block upgrade programme offering incremental enhancements for the Navy’s existing AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare system.

Through the SEWIP Block 2 systems, the Navy seeks to expand upon the receiver/antenna group to ensure capabilities can tackle evolving threats and to achieve improved system integration.

The company has been providing SEWIP Block 2 development, production and engineering services to the US Navy since 2009.

It also delivers and supports the installation of SEWIP Block 2 systems on Navy platforms.

Separately, Lockheed Martin received a $212m modification contract from the Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC to incorporate and integrate an Aegis weapon system, J7 baseline for Japan’s maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).