Raytheon awarded $45 million for sonar

The US Navy has awarded Raytheon a $45 million contract for the AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS) system.

Under the contract, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) will manufacture, test, deliver and integrate six AN/AQS-22 systems and provide associated services, support and weapon replaceable assemblies. AN/AQS-22 is the undersea sensor for the US Navy's MH-60R multi-mission helicopter.

AN/AQS-22 provides undersea mission support, including submarine detection, tracking, localisation, classification, acoustic intercept, underwater communication and environmental data collection. IDS has provided the US Navy with these capabilities since 1999, but until now, only through limited small orders. This contract advances the programme into full rate production, the first accelerated production contract since the introduction of the MH-60R helicopter into the US Navy Fleet earlier this year.

Work on the contract will be performed at Raytheon's Maritime Mission Center in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.