Northrop wins US Navy torpedo arrays contract
Northrop Grumman has received a contract worth $9.6 million from the US Navy to produce 45 Transducer Array/Nose Shell Assemblies for the MK 48 heavyweight torpedo, the company announced on 6 July.
The contract also includes three additional options for 45 units each over five years. Orders for spare parts and engineering support services are also included in the contract.
The MK 48 is the main offensive weapon used on all US Navy submarines. The Transducer Array is the main sensor used to acoustically detect, locate and guide the torpedo to target.
Alan Lytle, VP, undersea systems business unit, Northrop Grumman, said: ‘Northrop Grumman has a long legacy of torpedo production and we are proud to partner with the US Navy to ensure the viability of the MK 48 torpedo for years to come.
‘Between the new MK 48 contract and our existing production of the MK 54 torpedo arrays, we are honoured to provide the US Navy with affordable and reliable torpedo components and look forward to future opportunities for design and production of advanced, next generation torpedoes for the fleet.’
More from Defence Notes
-
“Capital follows confidence” as defence courts private money
Outside investment and the direction in which venture money flows may reveal what defence will buy years before formal programmes begin.
-
Canada’s new military drone marketplace targets rapid acquisition pipeline
The Department of National Defence expects initial contracts to deliver thousands of uncrewed systems, but has yet to establish the quantities, capability mix or deadline behind Ottawa’s promised tenfold expansion.
-
Ukraine turns legacy Kongsberg land turrets into semi-autonomous USV weapons
The company told Shephard that Ukraine is operating modified Protector weapon stations originally supplied for armoured vehicles, with human operators authorising engagements from hundreds of kilometres away.
-
Thales: deployment speed to determine winners in ‘production versus production’ era
At its technology summit in London, attended by Shephard, Thales UK examined the importance of speed to delivery, the growing focus on cross-domain capabilities and how procurement reform could be crucial for future battlefield advantage.
-
Orchestrating operational readiness across every defence domain
Are all systems ready for the next mission? Have upgrades been applied? Are all assets aligned to deploy together, on time and fully prepared? In modern defence operations, readiness is no longer measured platform by platform. It is measured by how well people, assets, data and decisions move together — across land, sea and air.