Lockheed Martin Wins $850M Trident II D5 Missile Contract

Lockheed Martin has received an $850 million contract modification from the U.S. Navy to continue design and development work on the Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile, the company announced on July 10, 2026. The award funds the next phase of the Life Extension 2 (D5LE2) program, a long-running effort to keep the sea-based leg of America’s nuclear deterrent viable for decades to come.

In its statement, Lockheed Martin said the modification “supports the next life extension phase and workforce expansion to deliver critical sea-based American deterrent capabilities.” The work will be carried out at the company’s facility in Titusville, Florida, with the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs office serving as the contracting authority.

What D5LE2 covers

Trident II D5 has served as the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s submarine-launched deterrent since the early 1990s, carried aboard Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). The missile has already gone through several rounds of life extension work, and D5LE2 represents the latest iteration aimed at keeping the system credible into the second half of the century.

The contract funds updates to guidance systems, propulsion components and launch-related infrastructure, ensuring the missile remains compatible not only with the current Ohio-class fleet but also with the incoming Columbia-class boats, which will begin replacing Ohio-class submarines in the 2030s. Trident II D5 is expected to remain the primary weapon aboard Columbia-class submarines for their entire service life.

Track record of recent test launches

Navy officials point to a string of successful D5LE test launches as evidence of the missile’s continued reliability. In September 2025, an unarmed D5LE test round fired from an Ohio-class submarine off the Florida coast lit up the night sky so brightly it was visible from Puerto Rico — one of several evaluation launches conducted periodically to confirm operational readiness.

Trident II D5’s range, accuracy and ability to carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) place it among the most capable ballistic missiles in service anywhere. Improved guidance packages developed under successive life extension phases have helped the missile maintain high accuracy even at maximum range.

Strategic context

As the sea-based component of the U.S. nuclear triad, Trident II D5 will continue underpinning strategic deterrence for decades under this latest modernization push. The size of the award signals Washington’s sustained, long-term commitment to strategic weapons investment even as budget pressures affect other defense programs.

Analysts note that sustaining a credible sea-based deterrent is particularly important given the difficulty of detecting submerged ballistic missile submarines compared to land- or air-based systems, a factor that has long made the sea leg of the triad the most survivable. Set against the backdrop of the ongoing Columbia-class construction program, keeping Trident II D5’s life extension work on schedule matters for ensuring both platforms progress in lockstep.

Source note: This report draws on Lockheed Martin’s official press release dated July 10, 2026 (news.lockheedmartin.com) and publicly available U.S. Navy sources.