BAE Systems has been awarded a contract by the US Navy to support the design and integration of radio and communications systems on 13 surface combatant vessels.
The nine-year DDG VI radio communications systems (RCS) agreement is valued at $28.4m and will rise to $187.4m, if all options are exercised.
It involves the provision of systems engineering, production and integration for 12 DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers and one DDG 1000 Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer.
BAE Systems Intelligence and Security sector president DeEtte Gray said: "We have a hard working and dedicated team of experts that has worked on every DDG 51-class destroyer in the US Navy’s fleet, including most recently the USS John Finn.
"That’s 63 new ships over 29 years."
BAE, which has served the RCS contract since 1985, is executing the work as part of the navy’s new construction programme, which aims to add advanced-capability new surface combatant vessels to the naval fleet.
In 2011, BAE signed a contract to design, install and test radio communications and network capability on Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers.
In addition, the company upgraded the navy’s USS Benfold (DDG 65), USS Stout (DDG 55) and USS Barry (DDG 52) destroyers.
Image: BAE Systems will support radio and communications systems for US Navy vessels. Photo: courtesy of BAE Systems.
