USN orders enhanced undersea warfare hardware

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems is to deliver upgraded hardware to the USN for the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) combat system suite, the DoD announced on 20 July.

Under the latest $80.24 million contract modification from Naval Sea Systems Command, the company will provide Technical Insertion-20 AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 systems plus AN/SQS-53C transmitter infrastructure shipset hardware.

In addition to the USN, recipients will include Australia under the FMS programme. Shephard Defence Insight notes that Japan and Poland also operate the system.

The open-architecture AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 undergoes software upgrades every two years and Technology Insertion hardware upgrades every four years.

AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is the primary undersea warfare system for USN surface vessels such as Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers, and it is also equipping the new Constellation-class frigates.

The system employs active and passive sonar to conduct ASW searches. Received acoustic energy is processed and displayed to support operator detection, classification, localisation, and tracking of threat submarines.

AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 also uses passive sonar to provide early warning of threat torpedoes.

Related Equipment in Defence Insight

AN/SQQ-89