US Navy Awards Lockheed Martin Nearly $10 Million to Design New Surface Ship Electronic Warfare System
The US Navy recently selected Lockheed Martin to provide its next-generation of electronic warfare (EW) systems for surface ships, which will significantly improve the Navy’s ability to detect threats to the fleet.
Under an initial $9.9 million contract award, the company will produce a preliminary design for the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 2 Upgrade by June 2010. The contract includes options, if exercised, totaling nearly $167 million.
Under SEWIP, the Navy is pursuing an evolutionary series of enhancements to its SLQ-32 EW system. This contract is part of a series of block upgrades intended to provide technological advances and add functional capabilities incrementally.
Lockheed Martin will provide a modular solution for Block 2, based on its Integrated Common Electronics Warfare System, demonstrated at sea last summer.
This approach uses commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) electronics and provides the Navy with the latest surface ship EW capabilities, as well as enhanced flexibility to upgrade the technology to address emerging threats.
“This is a proven solution that will improve the surface navy’s electronic warfare system,” said Carl Bannar, vice president and general manager of the Lockheed Martin Radar Systems business in Syracuse, N.Y. “By choosing Lockheed Martin in this competition, the Navy has endorsed our technical approach, which includes COTS components for proven cost savings and ease of maintenance.”
More from Naval Warfare
-
Kraken’s Royal Navy USV contract signals next step in crewed-uncrewed integration
The UK Royal Navy’s rapid procurement of uncrewed platforms aligns with the force’s strategic shift towards a fleet better equipped to handle modern threats.
-
HMS Anson’s milestone stay in Australia cut short during AUKUS deployment
The Astute-class submarine’s visit to Australia was the first time maintenance activity on a UK Royal Navy nuclear submarine had been carried out in the country.
-
How Operation Epic Fury could reduce US readiness to face China
The offensive against Iran could impact training and maintenance cycles and accelerate the degradation of the US arsenal on top of depleting Washington’s stockpiles.
-
UK Royal Navy explores modular counter-drone capabilities for future hybrid fleet
The UK MoD is scoping out systems to counter the growing threat of uncrewed aerial systems, with a focus on low-cost modularity and speed to field.
-
US Pentagon claims to have severely damaged Iranian capabilities, promises to increase attacks
US military authorities claim to have sunk 20 Iranian vessels and destroyed Tehran’s Air Force, with the Pentagon making plans to send additional assets to the region.
-
Greece’s newly commissioned FDI frigate deployed to Cyprus
The recent naval modernisation efforts by the Hellenic Navy have been bolstered by the acquisition of advanced Naval Group frigates, the first of which was delivered in December 2025 and is now playing a crucial role in the latest Middle East conflict.