Contract: Additional Mission Modules for LCS

Northrop Grumman received a $25.2m contract from the U.S. Navy for additional Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mission Modules. The company will deliver three mission module packages - two for surface warfare missions and one for mine countermeasures.

"Northrop Grumman continues to demonstrate that, as the mission package integrator, we are delivering high quality, fully integrated mission modules," said Doug Shaffer, director of information operations and electronic attack, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "With this procurement, we will work with our customer to capture synergies across the mission module production base, enhance production and supplier base stability, and reduce cost to the Navy."

The littoral combat ship has three primary missions – mine warfare, antisubmarine warfare and surface warfare. Each of the mission packages involves the integration of manned and unmanned systems operating across the air, surface and subsurface domains.

"I continue to be impressed with the Northrop Grumman-led teams' performance as they deliver high quality mission modules on cost and schedule," said Capt. John Ailes, Navy littoral combat ship mission module program manager.

Each mission package comprises a specific set of subsystems such as data processing equipment, vehicles and sensors, and others. The capabilities contained in each mission package focus on mine countermeasures, littoral antisubmarine warfare or littoral surface warfare operations. The mission modules being delivered under this contract facilitate efficient modular mission package embarkation, mission package operations and debarkation that is central to the LCS modular Mission Package concept.

To date, Northrop Grumman has delivered two surface warfare mission modules and one mine countermeasures mission module for LCS. The second and third Northrop Grumman-produced mine countermeasures mission module and the third surface warfare mission modules are currently in production. Northrop Grumman performs the final integration work at the Mission Package Support Facility located at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, Calif.