Lockheed Martin to Build Saudi Arabia a Modern Navy

[Elderberry]

Yahoo Finance by Rich Smith 3/14/2018

Currently floating a navy comprising just 11 capital warships (four corvettes and seven frigates, most 30 years old or older), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been on the hunt for new warships from Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) for nearly a decade. Last week, it got its wish.

In the Department of Defense's first contracts digest of the week, the Pentagon described awards totaling $2.63 billion. Topping that list was a $481.1 million award funding "long-lead-time material" that Lockheed will need to begin construction of four Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) ships.

This contract award shouldn't come as a huge surprise. As recently as November, Lockheed Martin updated investors on the progress of negotiations with Saudi Arabia to win the warship deal. In its post-Q3 earnings conference call, Lockheed Martin CFO Bruce Tanner noted that the company was already "starting to do some design work and so forth" on potential variants of the Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (that Lockheed builds in cooperation with Fincantieri Marinette Marine for the U.S. Navy) that might interest the Saudis.

Now it appears Lockheed has hit upon a design that Saudi Arabia likes.

What is MMSC?

Derived from Lockheed Martin's proven Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship, MMSC, says Lockheed, "is a lethal and highly maneuverable surface combatant capable of littoral and open-ocean operation."

Each warship stretches nearly 390 feet in length, with weapons bristling all along its length: a MK-75 76mm cannon, ten 50-caliber machine guns, two eight-cell MK 41 Vertical Launch Systems, and two Harpoon missile launchers for offense. MSSM will also be equipped with Raytheon RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles and a Raytheon SeaRAM Close-in Weapon System for air and missile defense. MSSM even has room on deck for an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter -- also sold by Lockheed Martin, and of which Saudi Arabia already owns several -- for anti-submarine warfare.

More: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lockheed-martin-build-saudi-arabia-131900314.html

[Fishrrman]

I don't know about you, but I'd consider anyone who "built a modern navy" for Saudi Arabia to be a traitor to The West...

[GtHawk]

I don't know about you, but I'd consider anyone who "built a modern navy" for Saudi Arabia to be a traitor to The West...

Even if they built them exactly as they built them for our own navy, or because of the way they built them for our navy?

Sep 5, 2016 - The announcement comes amid a tide of bad news. Since December, four of the six ships currently in service have broken down — including all three of the Freedom-class variants. The Coronado breakdown was the second serious LCS casualty in a week.

[Suppressed]

I don't know about you, but I'd consider anyone who "built a modern navy" for Saudi Arabia to be a traitor to The West...

These are actual jobs, actual profits to keep steel works open rather than by welfare/taxing Americans, and you're against it.

[Fishrrman]

Suppressed wrote:
"These are actual jobs, actual profits to keep steel works open rather than by welfare/taxing Americans, and you're against it."

Yes, I am most definitely "against" arming a muslim nation -- ANY muslim nation.

NONE of them should be considered "friends" to The West.

[dfwgator]

What could possibly go wrong?

[thackney]

Suppressed wrote:
"These are actual jobs, actual profits to keep steel works open rather than by welfare/taxing Americans, and you're against it."

Yes, I am most definitely "against" arming a muslim nation -- ANY muslim nation.

NONE of them should be considered "friends" to The West.

So what is the best way to know their capabilities?

You would rather the Russians and/or Chinese get the work?

[driftdiver]

Suppressed wrote:
"These are actual jobs, actual profits to keep steel works open rather than by welfare/taxing Americans, and you're against it."

Yes, I am most definitely "against" arming a muslim nation -- ANY muslim nation.

NONE of them should be considered "friends" to The West.

Maybe we can install remote valves to fill them with waternon command

[GtHawk]

So what is the best way to know their capabilities?

You would rather the Russians and/or Chinese get the work?

I have always thought it would be a great idea to incorporate self destruct capabilities in the weapons we sell to certain countries. Country X's American weapons mysteriously wind up in the hands of terrorists? Kaboom! at the most convenient time.............for us.

[Stevensr123]

These are actual jobs, actual profits to keep steel works open rather than by welfare/taxing Americans, and you're against it.

whats more important jobs or national sercurty ?

Would you start selling weapons to Russia or China?

It's the same with my county (UK). Western world is whoring itself out for a bit of money without thinking of the long term.

These people WILL become enemies one day. It's indoctrinated into their very being.

[thackney]

whats more important jobs or national sercurty ?

Would you start selling weapons to Russia or China?

It's the same with my county (UK). Western world is whoring itself out for a bit of money without thinking of the long term.

These people WILL become enemies one day. It's indoctrinated into their very being.

What is more important for national security?  Knowing and controlling what technology they receive or wondering what technology Russia and/or China sold them?

We won't be able to control if they build a bigger navy.  We already sell them jets making them dependent upon us for maintenance and upgrades.

[Elderberry]

Saudi Crown Prince Poised To Go On $35 Billion U.S. Shopping Spree, Meeting With Boeing, Lockheed

https://www.investors.com/news/saudi-prince-salman-to-meet-boeing-lockheed-apple-disney-alphabet/?src=A00220&yptr=yahoo

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will meet with officials from Boeing (BA) and Lockheed Martin (LMT) Wednesday as part of a trip across the U.S. that could see $35 billion in deals signed.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir said Salman would likely sign several memorandums of understanding for weapons deals during his nearly three-week long trip.