Galileo Avionica will next month complete the final campaign of functional and performance evaluation trials of the OTS-90 sonic system with an NH Industries NH90 helicopter, clearing the system for operational use with the Italian navy.
"We are very satisfied with trials so far accomplished on board an NH90 prototype and the Italian navy's production series aircraft," a service official said during the UDT Europe exhibition in Naples early this month.
The OTS-90 suite comprises a low-frequency dipping sonar derived from L-3 Ocean Systems' Helras product and manufactured under licence by Galileo Avionica, Germany's Elac Nautik and the Netherlands' Fokker Elmo, and a sonobuoy subsystem developed with Ultra Electronics of the UK.
A lightweight common acoustic processor developed by Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems integrates their outputs to provide data processing, threat analysis and classification services.
Prime contractor Galileo Avionica has received orders for 58 OTS-90 systems from the Dutch and Italian navies, seven of which have now been delivered. The design forms part of the Helras 2 mission system aboard the Italian navy's AgustaWestland EH101 anti-submarine warfare helicopters, which can locate and track targets from a range of over 92km (50nm) in the Mediterranean sea.
The Netherlands expects its first two of 20 NH90s to enter service in 2009, with their introduction having been delayed following mission system development problems.
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Source: Flight International
