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Lockheed Martin gets $481 million FMS long-lead contract for MMSC

Written by Nick Blenkey
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Multi mission combat ship (above) is based on the Freedom variant Littoral Combat Ship built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard

MARCH 5, 2018 — Lockheed Martin Corp., Baltimore, Md, is being awarded a $481,169,145 Naval Sea Systems Comman contract action for long lead time material in support of the construction of four Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) ships.

The ships are to be built for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds for the kingdom in the amount of $240,584,569 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Work will be performed in Walpole, Massachusetts (32 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (20 percent); Moorestown, New Jersey (15 percent); Germany (10 percent); Beloit, Wisconsin (9 percent); Sweden (8 percent); St. Charles, Missouri (4 percent), and Canada (2 percent), and is expected to be completed by October 2024.

The Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) is based on the Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship’s 118 m hull and it will utilize the same combined diesel and gas propulsion system.

It has a range of 5,000 nautical miles and can reach speeds in excess of 30 knots.

According to Lockheed Martin, the MMSC has the interoperability necessary for joint and allied naval force maneuvers. Paired with the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, the MMSC will have a robust anti-submarine mission capability that is fully interoperable with the U.S. Navy and its coalition partners.

The MMSC utilizes the COMBATSS-21 Combat Management System, built from the Aegis Combat System Software library. The MMSC integrated combat system solution leverages the domestic LCS integration of the 57mm Mk110 deck gun and SeaRAM, and expands multi-mission capability through integration of Over-The-Horizon surface-to-surface missiles, port and starboard 20 mm remote guns, a new fire control radar and a forward centerline 8 cell MK 41 Vertical Launch System equipped with RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles.

The MMSC is also equipped with the AN/SLQ-25 Torpedo Defense system.

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