Lockheed Martin Canada satisfies critical design review milestone for Halifax class combat systems

Lockheed Martin Canada satisfied a critical design review (CDR) milestone with the Canadian navy, marking a major step toward modernizing the combat systems on the navy's 12 Halifax-class multi-mission frigates.

The CDR covered Lockheed Martin's designs and plans for shipboard systems, trainers and facilities. The corporation will now proceed with production of sensors and the combat control system as scheduled to support full integration, testing and installation on the Halifax class ships.

"In this modernization effort, we have worked diligently over the past year to meet the challenging government timeline for the first ship to enter its retro-fit period this fall," said Tom Digan, president of Lockheed Martin Canada. "The successful review validates our approach and demonstrates Lockheed Martin's significant progress towards achieving the navy's objectives."

Additionally, the CDR evaluated design and progress on the land-based and on-board trainer systems that will accompany this upgrade to the Canadian navy.

Awarded in late 2008, the combat systems integration contract will provide a new command and control system, radars, tactical data links, electronic support measures and other warfare capabilities for the Canadian navy's 12 Halifax-class frigates, which were commissioned between 1992 and 1997. Under the terms of the contract, Lockheed Martin Canada also will maintain the current command and control systems until the entire fleet has received the retrofit.

Lockheed Martin Canada has been the combat systems integrator for the Halifax Class for the past two decades. The company hosts the Canadian navy's integration lab at its facility in Montreal and employs dedicated teams in Esquimalt, BC, and Halifax, NS, to maintain and upgrade the combat systems, maintenance procedure trainers, and team trainers located there. The company is the original equipment manufacturer of the combat systems for the Halifax Class and is the in-service support provider for both the Halifax and Iroquois Class vessels.

Source: Lockheed Martin

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