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Navy Awards Contract to Lockheed Martin for Littoral Combat Ship

March 23, 2011

Ship is scheduled to be delivered to the Navy in 2012.

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $376 million contract to a Lockheed Martin-led industry team to construct the nation's seventh Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).

The fixed-price-incentive-fee contract provides funding for the second of 10 ships the Navy awarded to the Lockheed Martin team in December. The contracts for the remaining eight ships will be awarded through 2015.

Marinette Marine Corp., a Fincantieri company, will construct the ships in Marinette, Wis., and naval architect Gibbs & Cox will provide engineering and design support, according to Bethesda, Md.-based Lockheed Martin.

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Lockheed Martin said the construction of the future USS Forth Worth is on budget and on schedule, with delivery slated for 2012.
"As the Lockheed Martin team constructs this next ship, we will remain focused on performance and cost," said Joe North, vice president of Lockheed Martin's Littoral Ship Systems business. "The Navy's 10-ship award provides stability to this program, allowing industry to more efficiently meet the customer's need for an affordable, multi-mission surface combatant." The Lockheed Martin industry team designed and constructed the nation's first LCS, the USS Freedom. The USS Freedom was commissioned in 2008 and has sailed more than 50,000 nautical miles. LCS 3, the Navy's future USS Fort Worth and Lockheed Martin's second LCS, is more than 85% complete and was christened and launched in December 2010. The program remains on schedule and on budget for delivery to the Navy in 2012, according to Lockheed Martin. Senior editor Josh Cable covers the automotive, aerospace, maritime and rail manufacturing industries for IndustryWeek. Follow him on Twitter at @JCable_IW.