The US Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin two contracts worth $20.6m to provide integration and engineering support for the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 undersea warfare system.
As part of the agreement, Lockheed Martin will update Aegis-equipped cruisers and destroyers to incorporate the latest combat system, which uses an open architecture business model. The US Navy is aiming to adopt a single, common, adaptable configuration to reduce system life-cycle costs.
Using a variety of underwater sensors, the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 detects, classifies and locates submarines and other undersea threats. It also contains a hull-mounted sonar, towed array, a sonobuoy processing system and a fire-control system used to launch weapons against undersea targets.
Advanced Acoustic Concepts, a key developer and integrator of many of the functional improvements to the AN/SQQ-89 since 1999, will work with Lockheed Martin on the contract.
Babcock marks next stage in submarine dismantling project
Surely on a national security project all contractors ought to be UK owned? This is similar to the life enhancement of our nuclear stations which has...