The U.S. Navy extended Lockheed Martin's contract for submarine command, control, communications and intelligence systems engineering and integration work.

The award, with a value of $60 million, covers work involving a major redesign of interfaces critical to the navigation architectures of several Submarine Warfare Federated Tactical Systems, or SWFTS, sub-systems across all U.S. Navy submarine ship classes.

"Aligning innovation with the customer's strategic plan is a key reason for our team's track record of successfully integrating combat systems on both new construction and in-service submarines," said Dave Boyle, Lockheed Martin Business Development Director in anti-submarine warfare and integration programs.

Lockheed Martin said its SWFTS Systems Engineering & Integration team integrates numerous submarine combat sub-systems including sonar, imaging, tactical control and weapons control, and communications into one large system-of-systems for all submarine combat systems.

The team also tests the combat system to make sure the sub-systems correctly interface with each other prior to installation on a submarine.

The contract extnsion was given to the company because of its "ability to mitigate significant and untenable program risk in both delivering the interface baselines and in successfully completing testing in support of SWFTS deliveries to Virginia Class submarine construction and SSN/SSBN modernizations," Lockheed Martin said.

Type 23 frigates getting communications upgrade from Thales
Paris (UPI) Feb 25, 2016 - Thales has been contracted to perform a midlife communications system update to Royal Navy Type 23 frigates.

he U.K. Ministry of Defense award is worth more than $26.5 million.

Thales said the modernization it will perform involves replacing the analog External Communications Voice Distribution and Management System on the frigates with a fully digital system.

"This is a significant win for Thales as it builds upon our position with the Royal Navy as the leading supplier of naval communications products and services for the fleet," said Hervé Derrey, vice-president for Radio Communications Products at Thales. "The Thales Team has successfully developed an innovative and competitive solution, including unique approaches to integrating the system into the legacy platforms with minimal impact, always a key requirement of the customer."

The modernization is the first phase of the fleet-wide Project Calliope to progressively update the majority of terrestrial communications systems fitted across the Royal Navy surface fleet and some Royal Fleet Auxiliary platforms.

"I am pleased to be awarding the ... contract to Thales -- their design offers a compelling solution providing value for money through life," said Carolyn Bellars, the MOD's Defense Equipment & Support Maritime Combat Systems Communications and Situational Awareness Team Leader.

The replacement system "represents a significant improvement in technology terms and the Thales solution brings things right up to date."

The replacement of the systems will begin in the spring of 2017.