Lockheed Martin will provide the US Navy's MK48 Mod 7 CBASS torpedoes with increased bandwidth and streamlined targeting and tracking capabilities under a new $US425 million US contract.
Part of a five-year effort to increase the inventory of the MK48 Mod 7 heavyweight torpedoes for the US Navy's submarine fleet, the systems will increase the MK48’s effectiveness and provide advanced counter-measure capabilities.
The MK48 torpedo is a joint program between the Royal Australian Navy and the US Navy which has been undergoing continuous improvements through joint technology development. The Collins class submarine is equipped with the weapon and it has also been mandated for the future submarines to be built by DCNS, with preliminary design development of the submarines to be underway by the end of this year.
“The latest guidance and control technologies for MK48 are thanks in part to Lockheed Martin’s $10 million investment in manufacturing efficiencies, facilities, and laboratories to ensure navies can face any threats in littoral and deep sea environments,” Tom Jarbeau, Lockheed Martin MK48 program director said.
Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will provide fully integrated guidance and control sections to increase the inventory of MK48 torpedoes over several years. There is potential for production orders of more than 250 torpedoes over the next five years for the US Navy, which are used by all classes of submarines as their anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) weapon.
The systems for new-construction MK48 torpedoes include the same section of the Navy’s existing heavyweight torpedoes that Lockheed Martin is upgrading under the MK48 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) awarded by the US Navy in 2011.