U.S. Navy’s Surface Ships to get LM Electronic Warfare Systems

The U.S. Navy today awarded Lockheed Martin a contract valued $128 million to provide electronic warfare capabilities to their surface ships.

The deal covers full rate production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) AN/SLQ-32(V) 6.

For many years, electronic warfare capabilities aboard surface ships were provided by a passive electronic countermeasures system called the AN/SLQ-32. The service upgraded these systems to defeat EW threats under the SEWIP program. SEWIP allows sailors to protect the ship from incoming missiles and radar jamming.

SEWIP is a series of evolutionary developments, called block upgrades, which, at each stage improve and modernize the existing AN/SLQ-32 infrastructure. The Navy established SEWIP in 2002. Block 1 provided enhanced electronic warfare capabilities to existing and new ship combat systems to improve anti-ship missile defense, counter-targeting, and counter-surveillance capabilities. The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin the SEWIP Block 2 contract in 2009 to upgrade the antenna, receiver, and combat system interface for the AN/SLQ-32.