WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin Space a $90.2 million contract modification to continue design and development work for the Trident II D5 Life Extension 2 (D5LE2) program.
The cost-plus-fixed-fee modification covers what the Navy calls “SSP Alteration Advanced Design and Development.” The work is being managed by the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) office and is part of the second life extension of the Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile.
The Trident II D5 provides the sea-based leg of the United States’ nuclear triad. The Navy’s ongoing D5LE2 program is intended to modernize the missile and support its continued operation as the service transitions from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines to the Columbia class.
Work to continue through 2030
Under the new contract modification, about 68% of the work will be performed at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. Another 25% will take place at Cape Canaveral, Florida, while the remaining work will be divided between facilities in Bangor, Washington, and Denver, Colorado.
The contract is scheduled to run through September 30, 2030.
The Navy is obligating the full $90.2 million from fiscal year 2026 weapons procurement funds at the time of the award. The funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
The contract was awarded on a sole-source basis, with the Navy determining that Lockheed Martin had the unique capabilities required to meet the program's requirements.
Trident II D5 modernization
The Trident II D5 entered service in 1990 and is carried by U.S. Ohio-class and U.K. Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines. An earlier D5 life extension program was completed in 2017.
The missile weighs approximately 130,000 pounds (58,967 kilograms) and has a stated range of about 4,000 nautical miles (7,408 kilometers). Its reported speed exceeds Mach 20.
According to Lockheed Martin, submarine-launched ballistic missiles account for roughly 70% of the United States' strategic deterrent capability.
The Navy has described D5LE2 as the next-generation version of the Trident II D5. Official Navy testimony says the program is intended to maintain the Trident system's required performance and provide flexibility for future requirements.
D5LE2 program receives earlier major contracts
The latest $90.2 million award follows earlier funding for the D5LE2 program.
In January 2025, the Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a $383 million contract modification to begin development of the upgraded missile. Lockheed Martin said the D5LE2 is being developed for deployment aboard Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines and is intended to remain credible through 2084.
In April 2026, the Department of War announced an additional $850 million modification for continued D5LE2 design and development. Lockheed Martin publicly disclosed the award in July 2026.
The D5LE2 will eventually support the transition to the U.S. Navy's Columbia-class submarines and the U.K.'s planned Dreadnought-class boats, replacing the Ohio- and Vanguard-class submarines.
New production facility in Florida
Lockheed Martin is also expanding its production infrastructure for the program. The company is constructing an approximately 225,000-square-foot (20,903-square-meter) facility at its Titusville, Florida, campus to produce D5LE2 components.
The facility is expected to be ready in 2027 and is expected to create approximately 300 new jobs. Lockheed Martin said the facility is being developed alongside the D5LE2 program to support future production requirements.
The Navy also conducted four test flights of unarmed Trident II D5LE missiles from an Ohio-class submarine off Florida's east coast in September 2025, supporting continued testing of the existing life-extended missile system.
The latest contract modification continues the development work required to move the Trident II D5 system into its second major life-extension phase while preparing the missile system for the transition to the Columbia-class submarine fleet.
Source : defence-blog
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