SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The USS
Maryland, a U.S. Navy submarine, launched an unarmed Trident II D5
Fleet Ballistic Missile built by Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) in the
Atlantic Ocean for a successful test flight Aug. 31.
The flight test was an element of a Demonstration and Shakedown
Operation (DASO-27) to certify the submarine's crew and weapon
system for strategic outload and patrol. It was the
161st successful Trident II launch since design
completion in 1989.
"When it comes to the strategic deterrence mission, the Trident
II D5 industry team is focused on enabling the U.S. Navy to deliver
credibility and unmatched reliability," said Eric Scherff, vice president of the Fleet
Ballistic Missile program for Lockheed Martin. "We are building on
a 60-year partnership with the Navy to ensure Trident remains
capable for the decades to come through our shared robust flight
test plan."
The missile was converted into a test configuration using a test
missile kit produced by Lockheed Martin that contains range safety
devices, tracking systems and flight telemetry
instrumentation.
The Trident II D5 missile is deployed aboard U.S. Navy
Ohio-class submarines and Royal Navy Vanguard-class to deter
nuclear aggression. The three-stage ballistic missile can travel a
nominal range of 4,000 nautical miles and carry multiple
independently targeted reentry bodies.
Lockheed Martin has a long track record of success in
engineering, evolving and sustaining ballistic missile systems. The
company has been the Navy's strategic missile prime contractor
since Dec. 27, 1955 – one of the
longest government and industry partnerships for a major U.S.
weapon system. Lockheed Martin has also continuously supported the
U.S. Air Force's Intercontinental Ballistic Missile mission since
1955.
For additional information, visit our website:
www.lockheedmartin.com/trident.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a
global security and aerospace company that employs approximately
98,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research,
design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of
advanced technology systems, products and services.
Media Contact:
Sydney Owens, +1 408-756-1241;
sydney.c.owens@lmco.com
Photo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160912/406778
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/successful-trident-ii-d5-missile-flight-test-supports-navy-submarine-certification-for-strategic-patrol-300326610.html
SOURCE Lockheed Martin