Raytheon’s VDS selected for US Navy LCS
Raytheon will provide the new Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) for the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) class under a $27.9 million contract announced on 23 May.
The contract was awarded following a study and product assessment phase during which Raytheon demonstrated the solution's features and capabilities met all of the US Navy's design and performance requirements. The VDS is designed to be an anti-submarine warfare asset that will be deployed from LCS to locate and track enemy submarines.
Identical for both LCS variants, the design of this sonar system features reduced weight to minimise ship impact, increased manoeuvrability and provides the opportunity for increased payload.
Under the terms of the contract, Raytheon is set to advance its design to a full pre-production test article, which is expected to be complete in late 2018. The contract also includes options for production, which, if exercised, could bring total contract value to over $300 million.
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