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The US Navy has formally awarded BAE Systems a US$251 million (AU$395 million) contract to provide ongoing systems engineering, test and evaluation, logistics, system acquisitions and cyber security in support of the Aegis Combat System.
This five-year contract will see BAE Systems provide the Aegis Technical Representative (Aegis TECHREP) organisation with critical large-scale system engineering and on-site technical expertise for the complex combat system configurations for the US Navy, the Missile Defense Agency, and the foreign military sales program.
In addition, BAE Systems will also provide high-quality services in systems engineering, test and evaluation, logistics, system acquisitions and cyber security, supported by the acceleration of the Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems digital transformation strategy by developing and deploying unparalleled digital analytic tools across all these task areas.
Lisa Hand, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems’ Integrated Defense Solutions business, welcomed this contract, saying, “For more than 40 years, BAE Systems personnel have collaborated closely with sailors and civilians to enhance and modernise the fleet of Aegis-equipped surface ships.”
Aegis is the world’s most advanced maritime warfighting system and the only maritime ballistic missile defence capability. Operating above, on, and below the surface, Aegis is a comprehensive multi-mission combat system, successfully integrated into more than 100 ships across nine classes in six nations, including the United States, Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Spain, and Norway – demonstrating its global impact on maritime defence.
“Our team possesses extensive expertise in Aegis and ship delf-defence combat systems, combined with the agility, innovation and technical skills necessary to provide the US Navy with the safe and effective combat capabilities required to achieve its mission goals” Hand added.
At its core, Aegis has traditionally been powered by the SPY family of radars, delivering full 360-degree, 3D tracking, enabling it to simultaneously defend against threats from land, submarines and surface ships while automatically shielding the fleet from aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
As a key component of Integrated Air and Missile Defense, Aegis provides formidable anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defence capabilities. Now in its ninth baseline (BL9), Aegis is set for integration into Australia’s Hobart Class destroyers along with the Royal Australian Navy's future Hunter Class frigates, equipping the Royal Australian Navy with an advanced air and missile defence system.
