BAE Systems won a $37 million Defense Department Ordnance Technology Consortium contract to design the Next Generation Evolved SeaSparrow Missile Launch System.
Under this contract, BAE Systems will help the NATO SeaSparrow Program Office design and deliver prototype deck launching systems to the U.S. Navy and allied countries with the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile ship self-defense system.
“We have a long history of providing missile integration, launching systems, and canister design to the U.S. Navy,” said Brent Butcher, vice president of the weapon systems product line at BAE Systems. “NGELS leverages the expertise of our workforce to provide a ready-to-deploy system that enhances mission effectiveness and enables reliable ship defense for the U.S. Navy.
NGELS is a deck-mounted, fixed-angle launcher that uses BAE Systems’ Adaptable Deck Launcher concept to store and launch ESSMs from Mk 25 missile canisters. These canisters are also produced by BAE Systems.
“We look forward to working with our customers to bring this enhanced capability to the fleet and introducing it to international users,” Butcher said.
NGELS are easily integrated into large deck platforms and support the fielding of the latest ESSM missile, the Block 2 variant, a multirole surface-to-air and surface-to-surface missile capable of protecting flat-decked ships from advanced air and surface threats.
NGELS also use Mk 41 Vertical Launching System subsystems to deliver surface-to-air and surface-to-surface defense capabilities to aircraft carriers against missile threats.