Raytheon has successfully delivered the final ship self-defence system (SSDS MK 2) hardware ship set for the US Navy (USN) ahead of schedule.
The delivery follows the previously awarded contract to Raytheon to provide SSDS MK 2 open architecture for four US Navy ships and the Naval Air Systems Command test facility. The system is slated for installation and integration onboard the navy’s amphibious assault ship LHA 7, aircraft carriers USS Truman and USS Ford, and the amphibious transport dock ship LPD 26.
The US Navy SSDS programme aims to integrate self-defence equipment, particularly sensors and electronic countermeasures, into a single combat/protection system. Raytheon’s SSDS MK 2 features open architecture computing environment software, including selected software components from the total ship computing environment infrastructure, and is designed to speed up the process of detecting, tracking and engaging anti-ship cruise missiles.
The SSDS combat system integrates radar systems with anti-air weapons that are both hard-kill missile and rapid-fire gun systems and soft-kill decoys, and coordinates all of the existing sensors and weapons systems aboard a ship. The company was also awarded an $8m modification contract to continue SSDS MK 2 modifications for CVN 78 and SSDS MK 1 upgrades to the MK 2 OA baseline.
The US Navy is expected to spend $414m over the next ten years on the SSDS development and maturation programme based on a projection of the FY12 defence budget. Work on the programme is being carried out at Raytheon’s facility in San Diego, California, and at Seapower Capability Center, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US.
