Congress approves funding; U.S. Navy issues modifications for Littoral Combat Ship contract
NewsApril 02, 2015
WASHINGTON. Lockheed Martin heads the industry team on the construction and procurement of a Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) where the U.S. Navy just issued a contract modification with a value at $362 million and an additional $79 million for a second ship. The remaining balance will be funded by the end of the year.
Congress approved the advancement, which provides the funding for the cost and schedule of the final block buy option. The contract includes a priced option for a LCS ship in the 2016 fiscal year.
The modifications in the contract call for the construction and procurement of LCS 21 and LCS 23, a variation of the USS Freedom ship. The expected delivery date for the first ship under the original 2010 contract is this summer. Six other LCS ships fall under this contract.
The contract modification comes after other LCS ships, such as the USS Freedom and USS Fort Worth, engage in maritime missions and exercises in the last two years.
Lockheed Martin is working with Marinette Marine Corp., a Fincanteiri Co., to build the ships in Marinette, Wis. Fincantiere has upgraded the Marinette facility to allow for construction of two ships at a time. Almost 900 suppliers across the U.S. are contributing to the Freedom-class LCS program.
