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US Navy Exercises 52 Million Dollar Option For Raytheon's Mine Hunting Sonar
Tewksbury MA (SPX) Nov 29, 2007 The U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon a $52 million contract for the low rate initial production of nine new AN/AQS-20A sonar mine detecting sets, spares and their accompanying kits. The award represents the exercising of options under the Navy's existing AN/AQS-20A contract with Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, bringing the total contract value to $191 million and increasing the total number of systems ordered to 20. AN/AQS-20A, a key component of the U.S. Navy's organic mine countermeasures strategy, has been integrated into the MH-60S, MH-53E airborne mine countermeasures helicopter and the remote mine hunting system. It provides critical capabilities in support of mine-clearing operations in both deep-ocean and littoral waters by enabling the detection, classification and localization of bottom, close-tethered and volume mines. "The Navy has performed extensive testing on the system, running it through a broad range of scenarios on numerous platforms, and the results have been outstanding," said Gary Humes, program manager at the U.S. Navy's Mine Warfare program office (PMS-495). "AN/AQS-20A continues to perform exceptionally, providing an invaluable asset to the Navy's mine countermeasure strategy." The proven and highly capable AN/AQS-20A system is towed undersea to scan the water in front and to the sides of the vehicle, as well as the sea bottom for anti-shipping mines. The system uses sonar and electro-optical sensors to provide high-resolution images of mines and mine-like objects, as well as high-precision location information. AN/AQS-20A is modular, lightweight and produced under spiral development, enabling continuous improvement, serviceability and plug-and-play capability. Additionally, the system's advanced technology combines with commercial off- the-shelf components to significantly reduce production costs and allows for easy upgrade and replacement of individual assembly parts. A significant benefit of AN/AQS-20A is its modularity, a capability that allows the Navy to operate the system across a variety of platforms. Under the contract, Raytheon will deliver nine AN/AQS-20A sonar mine- detecting sets, seven installation kit electronics equipment packages and two remote minehunting system towed body modification kits. To date, the company has delivered 10 AN/AQS-20A systems to the Navy. The system is currently undergoing technical evaluation as part of the Navy's mine countermeasure operational testing - the final stage before official fleet deployment. AN/AQS-20A engineering and support services will be performed at Raytheon IDS' Maritime Mission Center, Portsmouth, R.I., and by Arete Associates, Tucson, Ariz. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Naval Warfare in the 21st Century
Lockheed Martin To Develop New Expendable Mine Neutralization System For US Navy Mine Hunter-Killer Ships
Syracuse NY (SPX) Nov 20, 2007Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $11 million System Development and Demonstration (SD and D) contract by the U.S. Navy to develop and integrate a new Expendable Mine Neutralization System (EMNS) for the Navy's Mine Counter Measures (MCM-1) Avenger-class ships. |
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