Romania’s Aegis Ashore site begins operations
Europe’s first Aegis Ashore site, located in Romania and based on Lockheed Martin technology, has started monitoring the skies of southern Europe for ballistic missile threats, Lockheed Martin announced on 12 May.
The US Navy has operationally certified the site situated at Deveslu Air Force Base in Romania, thereby fulfilling Phase II of the European Phased Adaptive Approach. Meanwhile, construction of the second European Aegis Ashore site, in Poland, has also commenced.
Lockheed Martin was awarded the contract for the site in 2010, with the site heavily leveraging the shipboard Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system. The Aegis BMD Combat System of Lockheed Martin features SPY-1 naval phased array radar, which provides missile defence, anti-air warfare and advanced surveillance capabilities.
The company is currently producing elements of the Poland Aegis Ashore Weapon System, including SPY radar arrays. The US Missile Defense Agency expects to award a contract in the spring of 2016 for the installation and testing of the Aegis Ashore system.
Brendan Scanlon, director, Lockheed Martin Aegis Ashore programs, said: ‘It’s fitting that work on the Poland site begins just as Aegis Ashore’s important mission in Romania officially commences. The lessons learned and incredible teamwork that brought the Aegis Combat System ashore will lead to even greater cost-savings and efficiencies for the Missile Defense Agency, the US Navy and the sailors who protect the country and its allies.’