Lockheed wins $122.4m Trident navigation support contract

Lockheed Martin has secured a $122.45 million US Navy contract covering navigation subsystem development, shipboard integration, and fleet support for the Trident strategic weapon system, with the work also benefiting the United Kingdom’s submarine-based deterrent programme.

The contract was awarded to Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems at Mitchel Field, New York, by the US Navy’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive Strategic Systems Programs organisation.

Its scope covers Trident Fleet Support, Trident II Shipboard Integration Increment 8, and navigation subsystem development. Work is scheduled to continue until 31 October 2030, extending engineering and support activity associated with the strategic weapon system into the next decade.

The $122,449,494 agreement combines cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee contractual arrangements. The announced value includes optional contract line items, meaning the total encompasses work that may depend on the subsequent exercise of those options.

Initial funding identified in the award consists of $3.97 million from fiscal 2027 US Navy operations and maintenance appropriations, $12.26 million from other procurement funding, and $12.97 million from shipbuilding and conversion accounts.

These allocations total $29,190,585, substantially below the full announced contract value. The distinction reflects the funding identified for obligation at award rather than the complete amount of potential expenditure over the contract period.

The award is also subject to the availability of funds under the applicable federal acquisition provisions. The US Navy conducted the procurement on a sole-source basis, citing the statutory authorities governing circumstances in which full and open competition is not required.

Most of the work will take place at Mitchel Field, New York, accounting for 77% of the programme. Huntington Beach, California, will undertake 20%, with Manassas, Virginia, responsible for a further 2%. Other locations account for the remaining activity.

The Trident II D5 is a submarine-launched ballistic missile operated by the United States and United Kingdom. It forms part of a wider strategic weapon system incorporating the missile, associated shipboard equipment, and the functions required to support its deployment and continued operation.

The missile is deployed aboard US Navy Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines and Royal Navy Vanguard-class vessels. Both countries are preparing successor submarine fleets, with the United States developing the Columbia class and the United Kingdom constructing the Dreadnought class.

The latest award addresses established fleet support alongside shipboard integration and navigation development. These are related activities but involve different engineering requirements, from maintaining existing equipment to developing and qualifying changes intended for future configurations.

Navigation is a fundamental element of submarine operations. Equipment and associated processing systems provide information about the vessel’s position, movement, and orientation, which must remain consistent with the requirements of connected shipboard systems.

Submarine navigation presents particular engineering constraints because the vessel may operate submerged for extended periods. Navigation equipment must function within the approved operating architecture, with its inputs, outputs, and interfaces managed through the relevant system configuration.

The Trident strategic weapon system includes navigation-related equipment supporting its shipboard functions. Changes to those systems require engineering work involving hardware, software, interfaces, technical documentation, and qualification procedures appropriate to the equipment being modified.

The new contract identifies Shipboard Integration Increment 8 as a specific work area. Earlier US procurement records have associated Increment 8 activity with navigation equipment and supporting components, including inertial navigation systems.

Inertial navigation uses measurements of motion and orientation to support the calculation of position and attitude. The performance and integration requirements depend on the sensors, processing equipment, and other systems incorporated into the approved installation.

The November contract does not disclose the detailed design changes required under Increment 8 or specify the equipment quantities being procured. It also provides no published figures for improvements in navigation accuracy, equipment reliability, or maintenance intervals.

Shipboard integration requires connected equipment to operate within the electrical, mechanical, computing, and communications arrangements of the host platform. Software interfaces and data handling must remain compatible with the system’s intended functions, while testing establishes compliance with the requirements set by the programme authority.

Equipment changes can also affect sustainment arrangements. Replacement components, revised software, and new technical procedures must be reflected in configuration records and maintenance documentation so that equipment can continue to be supported throughout its service life.

Fleet support therefore extends beyond the supply of replacement hardware. Engineering organisations must maintain technical knowledge of installed configurations, provide support for equipment changes, and contribute to resolving issues identified during operation or scheduled maintenance.

The contract includes a separate navigation subsystem development element, indicating that engineering activity will continue alongside support for established installations. The US Navy has not disclosed the individual development milestones, test programme, or acceptance schedule associated with that work.

Trident II entered US Navy service in 1990 and has undergone a series of modernisation activities intended to sustain the system. The D5 Life Extension programme introduced updated components and technologies to support continued operation as existing submarines remain in service.

The United States is also developing the subsequent D5 Life Extension 2 configuration. That wider programme involves future changes to the strategic missile system, although the November award is specifically identified as covering fleet support, Shipboard Integration Increment 8, and navigation development.

The announced contract should therefore be distinguished from a comprehensive missile production or replacement programme. It does not identify an order for complete Trident missiles or disclose a separate production quantity associated with the navigation work.

The United Kingdom’s participation is explicitly recognised in the award, which identifies a Foreign Military Sales benefit to the British programme. The contract does not specify the value of that benefit or identify a separate amount of funding directly provided by the UK.

Britain’s Vanguard-class submarines currently operate the Trident system, while the Dreadnought programme is intended to introduce a new generation of ballistic missile submarines. The two countries’ continued use of the common missile system creates overlapping requirements for equipment support and technical development.

The strategic weapon system is supported through established UK-US cooperation arrangements. Although the countries operate separate submarine fleets and retain national responsibility for their deterrent forces, common equipment creates continuing requirements for coordination between the relevant programme authorities.

The transition between submarine classes also places demands on engineering and configuration management. Existing equipment must remain supported while systems intended for future platforms progress through development, integration, and qualification.

Different submarine designs can impose distinct installation and interface requirements, even where they incorporate equipment belonging to a common weapon system. Programme authorities must establish how the relevant components will operate within the configuration approved for each platform.

Lockheed Martin’s new agreement provides funding arrangements for engineering and sustainment activity over that period. The company will carry out most of the contracted work in New York, with further contributions from California and Virginia.

The immediate contractual milestones will depend on the programme’s engineering schedule, the exercise of any options, and subsequent funding decisions. The overall period of performance extends to 31 October 2030, with the US Navy retaining responsibility for acquisition and programme oversight.