US Navy receives final Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship
The delivery acceptance of the future USS Pierre marks the conclusion of the construction phase for the Independence-variant.
LRASM in flight. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed Martin and Thales Australia announced on 22 April that they have finalised a teaming agreement to develop sovereign weapons manufacturing capabilities in Australia.
A notable feature of the agreement is a commitment to deliver an Australian guided weapons manufacturing capability to support a sovereign national guided weapons enterprise.
This capability will be derived from the Lockheed Martin Long Range Anti-Ship Missile – Surface Launch (LRASM SL) ‘with a specific focus on booster and rocket motor technologies’, the two companies stated.
Thales and Lockheed Martin added: ‘This teaming agreement will advance the proven and mature LRASM maritime strike capability across further platforms for the next generation of surface and ground launch domains.’
LRASM is an autonomous, precision-guided anti-ship standoff missile based on the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - Extended Range, Shephard Defence Insight notes.
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The delivery acceptance of the future USS Pierre marks the conclusion of the construction phase for the Independence-variant.
The new Barracuda version has been engineered to perform enhanced subsea and seabed warfare missions.
The nearly $25 billion investment will cover USCG procurement of cutters, aircraft, helicopters, training simulators and Polar capabilities over the next four years.
After commissioning, FRC Frederick Mann will operate in Alaska and perform multiple missions.
The US Coast Guard (USCG) created new units, including five Programme Executive Offices (PEOs), to facilitate and speed up the procurement of new capabilities.
The US Navy does not have a precise date for the award of the procurement contract for the third Arleigh Burke-class destroyer despite having the funds to advance with the programme in FY2025.