Spain requests Aegis weapon systems
The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of five Aegis weapon systems to Spain, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on 26 June.
In a package worth $860.4 million, Spain has requested five MK7 weapon systems, six shipsets of digital signal processing, five shipsets of computing infrastructure, five shipsets of operational readiness test systems, five shipsets of the Mk 99 Mod 14 fire control system, five shipsets of MK 41 Baseline VII Vertical Launching Systems, two all-up-round Mk 54 Mod 0 lightweight torpedoes, 20 SM-2 Block IIIB missiles and MK 13 canisters with AN/DKT-71 warhead compatible telemetre.
The requested package also includes supporting communications, countermeasures, launch and test systems and maintenance equipment.
The Aegis will equip new Spanish frigates, enabling them to better counter regional threats and continue to enhance stability in the region.
If the sale goes ahead, the prime contractors will be Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and General Dynamics.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
Frigates and submarines anchor Brazilian naval modernisation worth US$5.52 billion
Shipbuilding programmes established over the past decade are setting Brazil's course towards having one of the most modern navies in the region.
-
Shoreline vulnerability drives Gulf interest in USV networks
Ukraine’s combat-proven Magura uncrewed surface vessel is attracting Gulf state interest as the Iran war exposes gaps in layered maritime air defence, raising questions about whether low-cost attritable systems can gain a foothold in a procurement culture historically drawn to high-end Western platforms.
-
Partnerships will be critical for future projects at Latin American shipyards
Multiple Latin American navies are modernising their fleets by prioritising domestically manufactured surface vessels and even submarines via international partnerships.