Raytheon to supply MS3 for ACTUV programme

Raytheon is to deliver its first 5th generation medium frequency hull mounted sonar system as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) programme. The company will supply the system under a new sub-contract awarded by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), announced on 12 March.

The steady increase in undersea vessels presents challenge to tracking capabilities. The company’s Modular Scalable Sonar System (MS3) will integrate into SAIC's prototype trimaran vessel as the primary search and detection sonar. The system is designed to provide search, detection, passive-threat filtering, localisation and tracking capabilities without requiring human operation.

MS3 enables anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and undersea warfare with capabilities such as active and passive search, torpedo detection and alertment, and small object avoidance. Data from multiple sonars may be fed to a central command and control node, providing a common operating picture as part of the ASW mission. By integrating a host of capabilities in a single sonar system, Raytheon’s solution addresses critical naval challenges.

Joe Biondi, vice president of Advanced Technology for Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business, said: ‘Historically, manned sonars were central to anti-submarine warfare missions. However, the growing number of submarines traversing the world's oceans makes this model unsustainable. By leveraging Raytheon's heritage in developing undersea sensors, MS3 can be configured to provide the capabilities required for ASW in an autonomous environment.’