Harris has received a follow-on contract worth $15m to build, test, and deliver acoustic sensors for light weight wide aperture array (LWWAA) system aboard the US Navy’s newest Virginia-class submarines.
The acoustic module assemblies, developed by Harris, help the LWWAA system to transmit data to the submarine’s combat system for accurate tracking of ships and submarines.
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The sensors can be placed on the submarine hull to boost the situational awareness of underwater movement of friendly and hostile forces.
Harris Undersea Systems business director Jim Brunelle said: "These latest systems will join the 18 ship sets the company has already supplied for the navy’s newest and most capable submarines.
"Harris’ solutions protect our forces operating at sea and provide the situational awareness they need to succeed in their critical missions."
The company will deliver the systems to Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor on the project, from September. All deliveries under the contract are set to conclude by December 2019.
Designed for advanced acoustic detection, LWWAA system is a set of large array panels that are installed on either side of the submarine and provide sonar sensor input to the combat system.
Using Northrop Grumman-developed fibre-optic acoustic sensors (FOAS), the LWWAA converts a target submarine’s acoustic energy in the water into information to identify and track it.
