Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Spain’s Navantia signed a memorandum of Agreement (MoA) renewing their partnership supplying surface vessels, Lockheed said Thursday.
The companies first started to collaborate 20 years ago by building and delivering the Aegis Combat System to Spain in the F-100 frigate. Lockheed highlighted the F-100 was the first frigate to incorporate Aegis in a ship under 9,000 tons. Under this agreement Navantia developed the combat management system and integrated Spanish weapons and sensors.
Lockheed and Navantia delivered five frigates between 2000 and 2013 and are also jointly developing Spain’s next frigate generation, the F-110.
The new MoA covers collaboration to explore new business opportunities in surface ships and naval combat systems, Lockheed said. It was signed by Lockheed Martin Executive Vice president Dale Bennett and Navantia President Esteban García Vilasánchez.
The companies said the F-100 success led the Royal Norwegian Navy to use Navantia to develop and build five Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates and then the Royal Australian Navy’s Aegis-enabled Hobart-class frigate. The first Hobart-class ship was delivered to Australia in September.
Lockheed Martin said currently 12 frigates developed jointly by the companies are operating internationally.
Michele Evans, Lockheed Martin vice president for Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors, said in a statement that the companies’ trust, openness and transparency “laid a tremendous foundation 20 years ago to build a world-class capability for the Spanish Navy, the Royal Norwegian Navy, and the Royal Australian Navy.”
“Today, the future remains bright as we look across the world and continue to expand Aegis alongside the tremendous shipbuilding capability that Navantia brings,” she added.
“With the success of the F-100, Fridtjof Nansen, and Hobart programs in our sails and F-110 just in front of us, we are excited to see what the next 20 years of this great partnership between two world-class companies can offer,” said Navantia Vice President Sofia Honrubia.