Northrop Grumman to Modernize Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyers

Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded contracts from the U.S. Navy, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Industries to provide integrated bridge and navigation systems and steering gear systems to modernize Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers (DDGs).

Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) exercised options for the acquisition and testing of five integrated bridge and navigation systems (IBNS) valued at $11 million. General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Industries jointly exercised options for six steering gear systems valued at $30 million.

“Northrop Grumman is a major partner on the Navy’s DDG modernization program,” said Bill Hannon, vice president of Maritime Systems, Northrop Grumman. “The new IBNS and steering gear systems will keep the technology of our nation’s front-line surface combatants highly capable and affordable.”

The systems to be installed include radar systems, navigation software, ship control software, chart servers, network interface boxes, flat panel displays, global positioning systems, and ship control display systems. The contracts also cover engineering services.

Back fit installation of the IBNS systems by the Navy will be conducted at the home ports of the vessels during their modernization windows. For the new build ships, steering gear systems and IBNS systems will be installed at the shipyards of Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Industries. Deliveries will begin in 2015 and are expected to be completed by 2021.

Northrop Grumman has been supplying comparable systems for the Arleigh Burke-class DDGs since the program began during the 1980s.