Lockheed Delivers 100th Aegis Weapons System To Navy

Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT] delivered the 100th Aegis weapons system to the Navy, the company announced.

The system is to be mounted in a destroyer named for retired Rear Adm. Wayne E. Meyer, a man described as the father of the Aegis system, Adm. Michael Mullen, chief of naval operations, announced.

The Aegis weapon system was introduced in 1983, and now has eight times more computing power and costs 66 percent less than the first Aegis baseline, according to Lockheed. It was unclear whether that second figure is adjusted for inflation.

Aside from 13 U.S. Navy Aegis-equipped ships now under construction, the Navy is modernizing Aegis-equipped cruisers first delivered in the 1980s with Aegis Open Architecture (Aegis OA), which will add 20-25 years of front-line service.

The first modernized cruiser with Aegis OA will be delivered in 2008.

The Aegis Weapon System currently is deployed on 80 ships around the globe with more than 25 additional ships planned or under contract. In addition to the United States, Aegis has been chosen by Japan, South Korea, Norway, Spain and Australia.