Raytheon last week filed a bid protest with the Government Accountability Office over a recent contract award to Lockheed Martin for a combat system outfitted on Navy ships.
The protest -- which the GAO anticipates deciding by Dec. 13 -- follows the Navy's award to Lockheed Martin's rotary and missions systems business last month.
The contract, worth up to $637.6 million through 2028, is for "combat system engineering support" of the Ship Self-Defense System. Raytheon has historically built the SSDS for the Navy’s amphibious vessels and aircraft carriers.
A Raytheon spokesman confirmed today the contractor filed the protest Sept. 4.
"Raytheon believes there were procedural errors in the competition that impacted the decision," Ian Davis told Inside Defense in an email.
According to the Aug. 15 contract announcement, which lists the initial award as $56 million, Lockheed "will manage the in-service [Ship Self-Defense System] configurations as well as adapt and integrate new or upgraded war-fighting capabilities."
"The SSDS combat system engineering agent/software design agent primary deliverables will be SSDS tactical computer programs, program updates and associated engineering, development and logistics products," the notice reads.
Jim Sheridan, Lockheed's vice president for naval combat and missile defense systems, said in a statement that the company "provide[s] the most affordable and capable solution" for the combat system.
"We will work with our customer and wait for a final decision to be made," he added.
Naval Sea Systems Command, the contracting authority, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.