Up to $851M to Lockheed Martin for Trident Ballistic Missile Support
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Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, CA received a not-to-exceed $851 million cost-plus-incentive-fee/ cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide support for production of Trident II D-5 ballistic missiles as well as maintenance of deployed D-5 and C-4 missiles.
An Oct 23/09 DefenseLink announcement identified a maximum contract value of $853.3 million, but a Dec 8/09 Lockheed Martin release gave a maximum value of $851 million. Lockheed Martin’s Lynn Fisher explained that the DefenseLink announcement was an “undefinitized contract action;” as a result of the contract being “definitized,” the maximum value was lowered slightly.
Under the contract, Lockheed Martin is providing D5 missile hardware production support and reentry system hardware, as well as operations and maintenance to support the readiness and reliability of missile systems deployed aboard the US Navy’s Trident II Ohio-class SSBNs…
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The contract also continues the D5 life extension (LE) effort, which updates electronic components to support the extended service life of the Ohio-class SSBNs.
First deployed in 1990, the D-5 is scheduled for operational deployment until 2042. The smaller C-4 ballistic missile has been in service since 1979.
The Navy recently tested 2 D-5 ballistic missiles from the USS West Virginia [SSBN 736] submarine in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Navy launched the missiles Sept 3-4/09 as part of a Follow-on Commander’s Evaluation Test, which is required by the US Department of Defense’s National Command Authority.
For the tests, the missiles were converted into test configurations using a test missile kit that contains range safety devices and flight telemetry instrumentation.
At the same time as it moves ahead with D-5 production, the US Navy is replacing D-5 missiles on 4 Ohio-class SSBNs with Tomahawk cruise missiles. “SSGN ‘Tactical Trident’ Subs: Special Forces and Super Strike” has more on that story.
The D-5, the sixth generation member of the Navy’s fleet ballistic missile program, is a 3-stage, solid propellant, inertially guided ballistic missile with a range of more than 4,000 nautical miles. The D-5 missile is currently aboard Ohio Class SSBNs and British Vanguard Class SSBNs.
Under the recent contract award to Lockheed Martin, mature D-5 production efforts will transition to a fixed-price-incentive contract in fiscal year 2011. Lockheed Martin expects to complete the work by Dec 30/13. Contract funds in the amount of $284,965 will expire at the end the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs in Arlington, VA manages the contract (N00030-10-C-0100).
