General Dynamics Installs Naval Strike Missile Aboard LCS 10

General Dynamics' mission systems business has installed a naval strike missile on an Independence-class littoral combat ship to augment the vessel's defensive capabilities and mission readiness.

The company said Thursday it designed the operational station, determined equipment placement and adapted the navigation system to facilitate the integration of the over-the-horizon Mk 87 Mod 0 NSM capability aboard the USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) ship.

“The open-architecture design of the ship’s computing environment and electronic systems made the design and integration of the new NSM system feasible in an accelerated timeline,” said Carlo Zaffanella, vice president and general manager of maritime and strategic systems at General Dynamics Mission Systems.

The Kongsberg-built NSM is a long-range precision strike weapon that works to detect and target enemy vessels within 100 nautical miles. General Dynamics is set to install aboard other Independence-class LCS vessels the NSM technology, which is managed by Raytheon in the U.S.

Austal USA is part of a General Dynamics-led team, which designed structures and performed the NSM installation in San Diego.