Lockheed Martin has secured a $182 million contract for airborne low frequency sonars (ALFS) related to Indian and Danish Sikorsky MH-60R anti-submarine warfare helicopters.
The package covers the production, integration, and delivery of 24 sets for India, and eight for Denmark, says a US government contract announcement.
In May, Sikorsky signed a $905 million contract for New Delhi’s 24 MH-60Rs, with the first delivery expected in 2021.
Cirium fleets data indicates that the Royal Danish Air Force operates nine MH-60Rs with an average age of 3.3 years.
Produced by Raytheon, the AN/AQS-22 ALFS is the primary undersea warfare sensor for the MH-60R.
“The AN/AQS-22 is the only in-service dipping sonar with multi-frequency operation,” says Raytheon.
“This capability enables the AN/AQS-22 to adapt its performance to varying environmental conditions. With a rapid search rate, the AN/AQS-22 identifies and neutralises threats sooner, enabling it to cover a larger area. The AN/AQS-22 also permits a longer detection range over a wider area, reducing the number of helicopters required to perform active anti-submarine warfare (ASW) screening.”
