The contract award provides for 239 refurbished Mk 13 canisters and 18 new Mk 25 Quadpack canisters for the Mk 41 VLS. VLS canisters provide a sealed storage, transportation and launch container for the wide range of missiles that can be fired from the Mk 41 VLS.

"We're proud to continue our role in manufacturing missile canisters for the U.S. Navy and its Mk 41 VLS program," said Gary Tatge, BAE Systems' VLS program manager. "This contract further demonstrates our customer's satisfaction with the quality of our work. It also speaks loudly of the overall effectiveness of the Mk 41 system in supporting and protecting our sailors."

The Mk 41 VLS is a below deck missile launcher capable of launching missiles at the multiple threats in naval warfare, including anti-air, anti-submarine, ship self-defense, land attack, naval surface fire support and ballistic missile defense missions. VLS are aboard dozens of U.S. Navy ships and demonstrated its importance and launch reliability during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.

The Mk 13 canister is used for the Standard Missile-2, Block II, III and the Mk 25 Quadpack canister is used for the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM). The Mk 25 Quadpack Canister is unique in that four ESSM are stored and fired in a space normally occupied by one missile. The canisters are slated to support both U.S. and allied Navy requirements.

The canisters will be produced at the BAE Systems facility in Aberdeen, S.D. Work on this effort begins immediately and will continue through September 2007.

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