In January 2023, Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems was awarded a $64 million contract modification for ongoing support of the U.S. Navy’s Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS) program. This was only the latest development in an active phase for a highly critical U.S. Navy effort.
The SSDS program integrates self-defense equipment – particularly sensors and electronic countermeasures – into a single combat/protection system. SSDS upgrades and enhancements are being fielded on U.S. Navy surface ships to carry out the vital mission of countering current and projected anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) threats.
Like so many other revelations over the past year, the ongoing war in Ukraine has provided stark examples of surface vessel vulnerability. The July 2022 sinking of the Russian guided missile cruiser Moskva by Neptune anti-ship missiles brought this reality home vividly in real time.
The SSDS program will see steady annual funding of between $120 and $162 million over the next several years. Based on an estimated projection of the FY23 defense budget, close to $1.4 billion in RDT&E funding will likely be allocated for SSDS program through 2032.
Looking forward to upcoming program milestones, production for advanced SSDS and Integrated Combat System (ICS) computing infrastructures is scheduled to begin in FY25.
Forecast International’s Electronic Warfare Forecast provides coverage of self-protection and early warning systems for military platforms, both in the skies and on the surface. This service features reports on notable systems such as the Next Generation Jammer and the Eurofighter EW suite, as well as electronic intelligence gathering and radar and missile warning systems currently available or in development.
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