The US Navy has awarded a $235 million contract to Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, to continue building MK 41 vertical launching systems, or VLS, with options that, if exercised, would increase the value to $356 million. Under this contract which extends through 2022, Lockheed Martin will produce the launch control units, various electrical boxes and the mechanical structure, and perform final assembly and test. The company is also under contract to conduct repairs, distribute, store and manage spare parts for the MK 41 system for the US Navy.

Work will be performed primarily in Baltimore, Md. MK 41 VLS is the only launching system that can simultaneously accommodate the weapon control system and the missiles of every war fighting mission area anti-aircraft, anti-surface, anti submarine and land attack. The system is designed to accept any missile into any cell.