Indra wins Saudi Arabian ship contract from Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin has selected Indra to equip four Multi-Mission Surface Combat Ships (MMSCs) destined for the Royal Saudi Arabian Navy with state-of-the-art electronic defence systems.

The contract for the four 118-metre-long vessels will see each ship fitted with Indra’s Rigel Electronic Support Measures system (Rigel EW suite). The suite can detect and analyse radar signals from other vessels in the area of operations to identify and classify their threat levels. 

The vessel, which will have a range of 5,000nm, have been based on the Freedom-variant LCS ship and will produce a top speed in excess of 30kt. The ships have a reported displacement of around 4,200t, more than the 3,500t of the Freedom variant.

Indra will work with Saudi Arabian partner SAMI-AEC, a subsidiary of state-owned defence company SAMI, with the two companies having recently worked together on equipping five 2200 Saudi Avante-class corvettes.

Jaime Temes, land and naval systems director at Indra, claimed: “Our EW capacities, with state-of-the-art systems, allows us to be part of such ambitious and demanding defence programs as this one.”

Indra and Lockheed Martin have worked together on projects since the 1990s when Indra began developing components of the Aegis system. Earlier this month, the two companies signed an agreement to analyse further business opportunities in defence.

According to Shephard Defence Insight, the US State Department approved a potential Foreign Military Sale back in October 2015 with a potential price tag of more than US$11 billion to the Saudi Arabia for the MMCS ships, along with their associated equipment, parts and logistical support.

Lockheed Martin first entered the programme in July 2018 when it was awarded a $450 million contract to begin the design and planning for construction of the MMSC vessels. In December 2019, it was awarded a contract worth almost $2 billion for the construction of four MMSCs, with each unit cost valued at $490 million.