Lockheed Martin has clinched a $245-million contract extension from the US Naval Sea Systems Command for the MK 48 Guidance and Control (G&C) program.
The G&C component will enhance the capabilities of the Mod 7, the latest version of the MK 48 submarine-launched torpedo.
The upgrade will benefit not only the US Navy but also allied forces, including Australia, as part of foreign military sales.
Work is expected to be completed by September 2027.
Company VP of Undersea Warfare Tom Warner called the contract “a testament to Lockheed Martin’s ability to aggressively revitalize a once-dormant technology, delivering more guidance and control sections at a faster production rate.”
“Our dedicated team is fully committed to continuing the production of these essential systems, ensuring the US Navy and our allied nations have the technology they need to maintain their edge in an ever-changing global landscape.”
‘Most Capable Torpedo in the World’
Former US Navy submarine commander Tom Shugart described the MK 48 as “probably the most capable torpedo in the world,” serving both anti-submarine and anti-surface roles.
Shugart, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Insider that the torpedo “can strike with very little warning, and they’re deliberately designed to break ships in half.”
The entire class of US Navy submarines uses the weapon, fitted with a high-explosive 650-pound (295-kilogram) warhead.
The Mod 7 version, the result of a Joint Development Program with the Royal Australian Navy, reached initial operational capability in 2006.
Apart from the US and Australia, the navies of Canada, the Netherlands, Brazil, and Taiwan have incorporated the weapon into their submarines.
