(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin ( LMT ) said on Thursday it had won a contract worth up to $4.1 billion from the U.S. government's Missile Defense Agency to continue the development of its battle command system.

The contract will aim at developing and upgrading the Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC)-Next system.

The C2BMC is a hardware and software interface for the ballistic missile defense system used by the U.S. defense forces for coordinated responses to emerging threats.

"Part of C2BMC-Next will be enhancing global integration, exploring possibilities of linking this decades-long proven, operationally fielded system with allied nations for the first time," the company said.

The ordering period of the contract is from May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2029, with an option to extend through April 30, 2034.

The defense company added that it will perform the upgradations at a new Huntsville, Alabama facility and Colorado Springs, Colorado.