Lockheed Martin Australia has secured a $33 million contract to upgrade the Aegis Combat System (ACS) on the Royal Australian Navy’s Hobart-class air warfare destroyer fleet.
As part of the two-year agreement, the defense firm will provide advanced naval combat systems engineering services for the country’s sea-based air and missile defense.
The contract covers configuration updates and an enduring baseline for sustainment of the Royal Navy’s combat system.
Lockheed Martin Australia chief executive Warren McDonald explained that the newly signed deal will help “deliver and sustain capabilities” that play a critical role in defending the interests of Australia and other allies in the Indo-Pacific.
He added that the company looks forward to collaborating with the Australian Navy and other industry partners to ensure a successful upgrade of the ACS and help provide improved protection for naval forces.
The contract reportedly helps maximize opportunities for Australian engineers, as it is expected to create 40 new engineering and project management job openings.
The Aegis Combat System
Widely considered the world’s most advanced combat system, the ACS is a naval warfare suite, equipped with the SPY-1 multi-function phased array radar for search, detection, and tracking of air and surface targets.
The system can simultaneously attack land targets, submarines, and surface ships while automatically engaging defenses to protect the fleet against enemy aircraft and missiles.
“Lockheed Martin and the Aegis Combat System continue to keep pace with evolving integrated air and missile threats, introducing new capabilities to create the latest generation of advanced solid-state technologies, integrated with the Aegis system, to provide world-class defense and ensure future safety and security,” the company stated on its website.
Lockheed Martin Australia representative Rob Milligan vows to leverage the best of the country’s industrial capability to deliver complex ACS upgrades while supporting a harmonized combat systems enterprise for Hobart-class destroyers.
He explained that upgrading the ACS on the country’s naval warships will ensure greater global interoperability and improved maritime domain awareness for naval forces.