PARSIPPANY, N.J., 12 Oct. 2005. DRS Technologies, Inc. announced today that it received a $7.6 million contract to produce and support launch control and power distribution subsystems for the Lockheed Martin-developed MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) on board the U.S. Navy's Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyers and Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force DDH class ships.
The MK 41 VLS is considered the worldwide standard in shipboard missile launching systems. It is used on U.S. Navy surface ships, as well as the ships of 10 other allied countries. It is installed below deck and provides the capability to fire a variety of missiles, including anti-air, antisubmarine, surface-to-surface and strike. The current MK 41 VLS, representing seven generations of advancements, shares little more than the same common structure with the first launcher introduced into the Navy fleet.
The DRS-produced equipment provides electronic control functions that are critical to the missile launch sequence and distributes electrical power to vital launching system components, in addition to providing system status and health monitoring. Work for this contract will be accomplished by the company's DRS Training & Control Systems unit in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Product deliveries are expected to begin in July 2006 and continue through July 2007.
"DRS is a key supplier of high-quality electronic missile launch control equipment supporting U.S. and allied naval vessels," said Fred L. Marion, president of DRS's Surveillance & Reconnaissance Group. "This new order is our 24th consecutive, full-scale production contract on the MK 41 VLS program from Lockheed Martin. The MK 41 VLS provides a solid business base for our weapons' control systems product line, extending our 23-year participation on this program."
DRS Technologies, headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., provides leading edge products and services to defense, government intelligence and commercial customers. Focused on defense technology, DRS develops and manufactures a broad range of mission critical systems. The company employs 6,000 people worldwide. For more information, see www.drs.com.