US Navy Awards Raytheon $ 22.5 Mln SSDS Contract

Raytheon Company  has been awarded a $22.5 million U.S. Navy contract for the Ship Self-Defense System. With this award, Raytheon will continue system development, test and integration, as well as Platform Systems Engineering Agent (PSEA) services and support for fleet-deployed systems.

SSDS is an open, distributed combat management system in service on carriers and amphibious ships, including CVN, LSD dock landing ship, LPD, LHA and LHD classes. The LHA variant is nearing initial deployment, a technical refresh of the LSD-class is almost complete, and system development is underway for the new CVN 78-class of aircraft carriers. SSDS is designed to expedite the detect-to-engage sequence to defend against anti-ship cruise missiles. The system integrates and automates standalone sensors and weapon systems to provide the required, quick response and multi-target engagement capability.

“SSDS is a deployed and proven combat management system, delivering outstanding capabilities and performance as well as the reliability, refresh and the inherent interoperability benefits of an open architecture design,” said Kevin Peppe, vice president of Seapower Capability Systems for Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems business. “The evolution of SSDS — spanning decades, ship classes, sensors and weapons systems — demonstrates Raytheon’s ability to deliver innovation in a platform-agnostic approach for all major naval surface platforms.”

In addition to the contract, the Navy has announced its intent to increase the current PSEA contract ceiling by $50 million to extend SSDS services and support through its Fiscal Year 2013. Raytheon has been the SSDS PSEA since 2008, providing ongoing maintenance, upgrades and lifecycle support for both new ship programs as well as legacy ships. As PSEA, Raytheon has achieved consistently favorable customer performance ratings over the life of the contract.

First Fleet Use of Open Architecture

Raytheon’s SSDS MK 2 is the first fleet use of open architecture computing environment hardware and software that includes selected software components from the Total Ship Computing Environment Infrastructure developed for the DDG 1000-class destroyer. The open architecture design adds a new level of flexibility and commercial standards to support the Navy’s goal of open, modular and interoperable combat management systems for the fleet. With its open and modular design, SSDS can also support additional domestic and international combatants.

Raytheon’s SSDS program has a long and outstanding history of performance, reinforced most recently with the early delivery of the first SSDS hardware ship set of the Fiscal Year 2011 production contract. All ship sets are designated for installation on new ships as well as for upgrades to legacy combat management systems on in-service ships. The recent delivery brought the total number of systems to 31, all of which were delivered early or on time to the Navy. The SSDS hardware upgrades are aligned with the Navy’s scheduled maintenance and refresh cycles, ensuring optimum ship system capabilities and performance. SSDS’ open design easily supports upgrades throughout the full lifecycle of the fleet.

Work on SSDS is performed at Raytheon Integrated Defense System’s Expeditionary Warfare Center, San Diego, Calif.; and Seapower Capability Center, Portsmouth, R.I.

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Naval Today Staff, November 6, 2012; Image: Raytheon