Lockheed Martin is set to enhance its undersea warfare capabilities through a substantial $3.45-billion agreement to acquire Ultra Maritime. This move aims to solidify Lockheed Martin’s position in the rapidly evolving sectors of anti-submarine warfare and naval sensing technologies.
Once the acquisition is finalized, Ultra Maritime will be integrated into Lockheed Martin’s Rotary and Mission Systems division. This strategic acquisition comes at a critical time, as various nations globally are ramping up their investments in defense to counter increasingly sophisticated submarine threats.
Ultra Maritime is recognized for its development of a comprehensive array of anti-submarine warfare technologies, including towed sonar arrays, hull-mounted sonar systems, sonobuoys, and various torpedo defense solutions. The company boasts an international customer base, providing exportable systems to allied navies.
Stephanie Hill, President of Lockheed Martin, emphasized that the merger will enhance the company’s capability to deliver integrated warfare solutions for next-generation naval platforms, stating, “Undersea superiority belongs to those who move fastest and work together best.”
This acquisition follows a series of recent successes for Ultra Maritime, which have further positioned it as a key player in the global undersea warfare market. In June, Ultra Maritime secured several contracts from Lockheed Martin Canada for lifecycle support related to the Royal Canadian Navy’s River-class destroyers.
Moreover, Ultra Maritime recently inaugurated an upgraded facility in North Carolina aimed at boosting the engineering and production of its Sea Raider family of software-defined radars, along with the U.S. Navy’s Next Generation Surface Search Radar. Earlier in April, the U.S. Navy awarded Ultra Maritime a low-rate initial production contract for AN/SSQ-125B sonobuoys designed to enhance undersea surveillance. This was preceded by a notable contract in February, worth 40 million pounds ($54.3 million), to supply sonobuoys for the Royal Navy’s Merlin Mk2 maritime helicopters.
With the expected completion of this acquisition, Lockheed Martin is poised not only to expand its technological prowess in the undersea domain but also to significantly enhance collaborative defense efforts among its allied partners.
