Lockheed Martin [LMT] and Spain’s Indra have signed an agreement to extend their cooperative relationship developing an S-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for the Spanish navy’s F-110 frigate program, Lockheed Martin said Tuesday.
The agreement also establishes a framework to commercialize the solid state radar for other international anti-air program opportunities.
The F-110 is a future Spanish multi-mission surface vessel equipped with the Aegis Weapon System using the companies’ S-band AESA radar. It is being jointly developed by Lockheed Martin and Spain’s Navantia. The two companies renewed their collaboration on surface vessels in October (Defense Daily, Oct. 26).
Production on the F-110 is expected to start in 2018, with the first unit being commissioned n 2023.
Lockheed Martin and Indra have been collaborating on the F-110 S-band radar since 2009 and general S-band naval radars since 1997.
Capt. Manuel Martínez Ruiz, F-110 program manager, said the cooperation between the two companies has been strong but it is going “to the next level” with the F-110.
“The joint development of a new solid state S-band radar is a cornerstone of the F-110 Program and a strategic element of our defense industrial plan in Spain,” he said in a statement.
“Our history working with Indra and our complementary investments in solid state radar technology make this a natural extension for our partnership and we look forward to seeing this solid state radar aboard F-110 and future air defense platforms around the world,” Michele Evans,vice president of Lockheed Martin’s integrated warfare systems and sensors division, added.
Evans also noted the company ‘s solid state radar technologies include an open architecture design that aims to more easily facilitate integration with other components and systems.
Indra’s general manager of defense and security, Manuel Escalante, highlighted that with this new agreement the companies are ready for global opportunities.
“We are very excited to see this partnership expand to bring together the best of Spanish and U.S. solid state technologies for this new state-of-the-art radar, and we look forward to the next 20 years of working with Lockheed Martin to deliver the most capable naval radars to the world,” Escalante said in a statement.
Lockheed Martin said the AESA radar will become an option for any frigate with requirements similar to the F-110.
Spain’s Navy currently operates five Aegis-enabled Álvaro de Bazán-class (F-100) frigates that use the Aegis Combat System and older SPY-1 radar.