Integrating the Aegis-derived COMBATSS-21 with the Littoral Combat Ship
Mission:
As threats continue to grow at an unprecedented pace, the U.S. Navy and allied nations are focused on increasing global security by growing their anti-air, anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare defense capabilities. Additional missions include:
- Anti-terrorism and force protection
- Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
- Mine warfare
- Homeland defense
- Special operations
- Maritime interdiction and interception
Requirements:
The U.S. Navy and allied nations required a combat system capable of scaling to accommodate multiple ship classes and sizes that:
- Featured an open architecture for ease of integration
- Offered a low-risk solution with life cycle affordability
- Provided an opportunity for future technology and capability innovations
Solution/Results:
To address U.S. Navy missions with a versatile combat system, Lockheed Martin developed and integrated the scalable COMBATSS-21 combat management system aboard the littoral combat ship (LCS).
The COMBATSS-21 combat management system is derived from the proven Lockheed Martin Aegis Combat System, which has shielded ships and sailors against air, surface and subsurface threats for more than four decades. This low risk approach enhances life cycle affordability by reducing costs for integration, test and certification and supports the Navy’s objective combat system architecture.
Air Warfare Destroyer
Mission:
Requirements:
The Australian Defence Force needed a state-of-the-art combat system to provide a significant increase in security than what is currently provided by its aging fleet. These ships must be capable of:
- Detecting and engaging aircraft at extended ranges and protecting deployed forces from air and missile attack.
- Ensuring Australia's amphibious and support ships can operate with 24-hour air defence, as well as support land forces in coastal areas and aircraft operations.
- Delivering anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities.
Solution/Results:
Enter Aegis. The Hobart-class ships are Australia’s first warships equipped with the Aegis Combat System. When paired with the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System, it is capable of delivering missiles for every required mission and threat environment. Hobart and her sister ships, Brisbane and Sydney, will receive Aegis Baseline 8, which integrates commercial-off-the-shelf technology and open architecture into the combat system.
Through the integration of the Aegis system with the other Hobart-class elements, the SEA 4000 program will upgrade Australia's surface maritime defence fleet with the most advanced and complex warships ever built and integrated in Australia, delivering proven defence and warfighting capabilities.
Australia joins a global Aegis fleet— Hobart marks the 107th ship and the sixth Allied nation (Australia, Japan, Spain, Norway, Republic of Korea and U.S.) to benefit from Aegis capabilities.
