WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 1, 2012. Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] and Raytheon Company [NYSE: RTN] are teaming to compete for a U.S. Navy contract that will upgrade the fleet’s capability to electronically attack anti-ship missiles.

Through its Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 upgrade, the Navy seeks to cost effectively enhance the electronic attack (EA) capability of its AN/SLQ-32 V(3)  and V(4) electronic warfare (EW) systems to counter threat technology advances.  All U.S. aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and other warships use the AN/SLQ-32 EW system.

SEWIP Block 3 is the latest upgrade in an evolutionary succession the Navy is pursuing for its EW system. Each upgrade incrementally adds new defensive technologies and functional capabilities. A formal Navy request for proposals is anticipated later this year.

Under a $167 million contract awarded by the Navy in November 2009, Lockheed Martin is developing SEWIP Block 2, which includes passive detection capabilities for advanced threats and establishes a framework to integrate future upgrades. The Navy approved the Block 2 solution during a Critical Design Review in February 2011, and two engineering development models are undergoing integration and testing at Lockheed Martin’s new EW systems test facility in Syracuse, N.Y.

Developed by Raytheon in the 1970s, the original AN/SLQ-32 systems employed passive radar technology for early warning, identification and tracking of enemy threats. Subsequent upgrades provided an additional active capability for simultaneous jamming of multiple threats.