Lockheed Martin to Supply Submarine Undersea Surveillance System

Lockheed Martin to Supply Submarine Undersea Surveillance System

undersea surveillance

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Lockheed Martin Corp. is being awarded a contract modification for the production and support of Acoustic Rapid Commercial off-the-shelf Insertion (A-RCI) systems for the U.S. submarine fleet, according to defenseworld.net.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems has won a $120 million contract to procure Technical Insertion 16 Acoustic-Rapid-Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Insertion (A-RCI) engineering services and the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS).

A-RCI is a sonar system that integrates legacy sensors and replaces central processors with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computer technology and software, within submarines.  This system helps the U.S. Navy in searching, detecting and tracking submarine and surface vessels in open-ocean and littoral sea environments without being counter-detected. It also facilitates in covertly executing Naval Special Warfare missions as well as performing under-ice operations, according to nasdaq.com.

IUSS provides the Navy with submarine detection, identification, and classification. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (95 percent); and Clearwater, Florida (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2017.

Last May, Lockheed Martin announced that it will provide the U.S. Navy the latest advancements in sonar systems under a contract valued at up to $425 million for guidance and control systems for the MK 48 Mod 7 torpedo, part of a five-year effort to increase the inventory of the MK 48 Mod 7 heavyweight torpedoes for the submarine fleet.                                                                

According to the company’s website, the Lockheed Martin guidance and control systems were intended to equip the heavyweight torpedoes with increased bandwidth and streamlined targeting and tracking capabilities.