USN orders additional Aegis modernisation kits and VLS modules
SM-3 launch from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Hopper. (Photo: USN)
Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Constellation-class frigates will benefit from combat system upgrades.
US Naval Sea Systems Command has ordered more Aegis modernisation (AMOD) kits from Raytheon Missiles and Defense for USN Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided missile destroyers.
The order is worth $35.66 million and combines AMOD purchases for the USN (59%) and Japan (41% under the FMS programme), the DoD announced on 19 July.
The AMOD programme fields combat system upgrades that will enhance the anti-air warfare and ballistic missile defence capabilities of Aegis-equipped vessels.
Arleigh Burke-class ships and Constellation-class (FFG 62) frigates for the USN will also benefit from an additional 70 MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) modules and ancillary equipment, to be provided by July 2025 by Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems under a $231.4 million contract modification.
This deal, announced by the DoD on 20 July, includes FMS purchases for Australia (13%) and Spain (7%).
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the MK 41 VLS has been ordered by 14 overseas navies in addition to the USN.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Schiebel’s frigate-first strategy indicates a shift in UAV competition]()
Eurosatory 2026: Schiebel’s frigate-first strategy indicates a shift in UAV competition
Schiebel is pursuing opportunities in the UK and France while leveraging its integration with Naval Group’s FDI frigate programme to create new naval business across Europe.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Red Cat eyes South American market for USV-led EEZ surveillance]()
Eurosatory 2026: Red Cat eyes South American market for USV-led EEZ surveillance
Success with the US Army’s Black Widow programme may have strengthened Red Cat’s international position, but executives believe the next growth opportunity lies in uncrewed surface vessels.
-
![US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits]()
US weighs offshore warship production due to industrial limits
A Pentagon push to procure warships from Japanese and South Korean shipyards could reshape allied naval industrial strategy, but critics warn the approach risks hollowing out the domestic base Washington is seeking to restore.
-
![Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA]()
Lessons shaping the next phase of Arleigh Burke production post-Flight IIA
The accelerated delivery of the final Flight IIA destroyer, USS Patrick Gallagher, showcases the payoff of years of workforce investment and process reform at Bath Iron Works, with the lessons feeding into Flight III production.
