BAE Systems issued US Navy VLS contract
BAE Systems has announced that it has been awarded a contract modification by the US Navy to produce canisters for Mk 41 and Mk 57 Vertical Launching Systems (VLS) on cruisers and destroyer battleships. The new contract, announced 21 August 2012, increases the current contract value to $158 million.
The canisters are used as a launch platform for various missiles within the US Navy fleet and serve as shipping and storage containers for the missiles. The Mk 41 and Mk 57 VLS are below deck missile launchers capable of launching missiles at multiple naval warfare threats including anti-air, anti-submarine, ship self-defence, land attack, naval surface fire support and ballistic missile defence missions.
BAE Systems has been producing the canisters for the US Navy since 1985. Work on the latest contract modification is expected to be complete by December 2014.
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