Arlington defense contractor wins $62M Navy contract

Leonardo DRS to supply 118 motor control panels for launching system

Published August 11, 2020 by Sydney Lake

The U.S. Navy awarded Arlington-based defense contractor Leonardo DRS Inc. a $62 million contract to supply 118 motor control panels for the Mark 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS), which is used by the Army and international allies.

Under the contract, Leonardo DRS’s airborne and intelligence systems business units will produce the panels that control the opening and closing of the launch tube hatches, plenum drain valve and deluge. Work for the contract will be done at the company’s facility in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

“We have supplied motor control panels and other electronic control systems to the MK 41 VLS program for more than 30 years in support of this important mission,” Dave Hammond, senior director of mission support for Leonardo DRS’s airborne and intelligence systems line of business, said in a statement. “This contract exemplifies our commitment to supply quality electronics to support the US Navy and allied navies.”

The U.S. Navy has deployed 1,500 MK 41 launchers on surface vessels and more than 11 foreign navies have adopted the system, according to Leonardo DRS. The MK 41 can launch a variety of missiles for warfighting missions including anti-air, anti-submarine, surface-to-surface and strike missions.

Leonardo DRS also announced July 20 it won a $120 million U.S. Navy contract to provide engineering design and test software for aircraft protection systems.

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