Navy asks Northrop Grumman for advanced undersea warfare sonar signal processing for anti-submarine warfare
ARLINGTON, Va. – U.S. Navy researchers needed new approaches to sonar signal processing for situational awareness and potential enemy attack. They found a solution from the Northrop Grumman Corp. in Annapolis, Md.
Officials of the Office of Naval Research in Arlington, Va., announced a potential $24.9 million contract on 14 March to the Northrop Grumman Mission Systems undersea systems segment in Annapolis, Md., for the Full Spectrum Undersea Warfare Innovative Naval Prototype Autonomous Undersea Exploitation project.
Sonar perception and exploitation
This contract calls for Northrop Grumman engineers to push the state of the art in sonar-based perception and exploitation by developing specialized algorithms and sensor for autonomous sensing, and to verify that sensors are producing the correct information.
This contract involves sonar design, real time processing, perception, and autonomy for submarine, shipboard, and land-based sonar systems for maritime situational awareness, surface ship tracking, and anti-submarine warfare (ASW).
Earlier this year Northrop Grumman won a $15.2 million order to upgrade and repair the U.S. Navy AN/AQS-24 airborne and surface mine hunting and detection sonar system.
The AN/AQS-24 can be towed through the water by surface vessels and helicopters in areas where naval commanders believe enemy anti-ship mines may be present. The system can work at speeds as fast as 18 knots.
Side-scan sonar
It uses high-resolution side-scan sonar for real-time detection, localization, and classification of bottom and moored mines at high area coverage rates. Its laser line scanner provides precision optical identification of underwater mines and other objects of interest.
Its sonar and laser line scanner can work at the same time to detect and identify sea mines and other underwater objects. The system offers target box cuing and high-speed operation to provide high-resolution optical imagery for target identification.
The AN/AQS-24 offers synthetic aperture sonar and advanced navigation controls and digital signal processing for target positioning. The system is rapidly deployable, and has been towed from aircraft, surface ships, and remotely operated vehicles.
The synthetic aperture sonar enables the device to scan the ocean floor at three times the resolution of the earlier system. The Navy operates the AQS-24B from MH-53E helicopters and Mine Hunting Unmanned Surface Vessels (MHU).
Synthetic aperture sonar
Northrop Grumman also produces the MicroSAS small-size interferometric synthetic aperture sonar that enables long sorties and high area coverage rates for unmanned undersea vehicles (UUV).
On the Full Spectrum Undersea Warfare Innovative Naval Prototype Autonomous Undersea Exploitation project, Northrop Grumman will do the work in Annapolis, Md., and should be finished in March 2030. For more information contact Northrop Grumman online at www.northropgrumman.com/what-we-do/sea.
John Keller | Editor-in-Chief
John Keller is the Editor-in-Chief, Military & Aerospace Electronics Magazine--provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronics and optoelectronic technologies in military, space and commercial aviation applications. John has been a member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since 1989 and chief editor since 1995.
