The US Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin Space a contract worth an approximate $850 million to continue advanced design and development work on the Trident II sea-launched ballistic missile.
The contract award comes as the United States continues its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz after over a month-long war with Iran, known in the US as Operation Epic Fury.
“A credible, effective strategic deterrent is essential to our national security and the security of US allies. US strategic weapons capabilities deter aggression and assure our allies by providing unique deterrence effects no other element of US military power can replace,” a press release by the US Navy following a missile test flight in September noted.
The Trident II (D5) Life Extension 2 program is a major modernization effort intended to keep the United States’ sea‑based nuclear deterrent viable through the second half of the century. The award, issued as a cost‑plus‑incentive‑fee modification to an existing contract, underscores the US Navy’s commitment to sustaining the ballistic missile that has served as the backbone of American strategic deterrence since the 1990s.
Hidden deterrence
The Trident II is a three-stage, solid-fueled submarine-launched intercontinental-range ballistic missile with a range of between 2,500 and 11,500 kilometers. It is capable of carrying eight multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), allowing one missile to hit several different targets with a high precision of about 90-meter CEP (Circular Error Probable).
The 44-foot-long supersonic missile is deployed by the US on its Ohio-class submarines and the United Kingdom’s Vanguard-class submarines, serving as a strategic deterrent capability.
“Because this system can’t be seen, it forces our adversaries to plan for a threat they can’t detect,” Eric Scherff, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Fleet Ballistic Missile Program, was quoted by the company as saying in a February blog post. “That’s the ultimate insurance policy. It works not by using force, but by making the cost of aggression too great. When adversaries wake up and ask, ‘Is today the day to attack the United States?’ we want the answer to be, ‘Not today,’ every day.”
The Trident II D5 is the most advanced of six generations of submarine-launched ballistic missiles that began with the Polaris A1 developed in the late 1950s. Trident II D5 first achieved initial operational capability in 1990 and remains the most accurate and reliable submarine‑launched ballistic missile in service. It has undergone several life-extension and accuracy upgrades, such as more accurate navigation systems, as well as an earth penetrator version to strike underground facilities, extended range, heavier payloads, and more.
As the missile approaches the limits of its original service life, the Navy has again embarked on a comprehensive modernization effort to ensure it remains compatible with the next generation of ballistic missile submarines, such as the US Columbia‑class.
The Life Extension 2 program focuses on updating aging components, replacing obsolete electronics, and integrating new technologies that will allow the missile to remain operational into the 2080s.
The last test flight of the missile took place in September off the coast of Florida, marking the 197th successful missile test flight of the weapon.
“Our nation’s submarine-launched ballistic missile system has been a critical component of our national security since the 1960s, and these launches continue to demonstrate the credibility and reliability of our strategic deterrence capabilities,” Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe, director of the US Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs, the command responsible for its strategic weapons, was quoted as saying in a press release following the test flight.