![]() ![]() ![]() Program Executive Officer for Submarines Rear Adm. “Making the right investments to maintain acoustic superiority over a potential adversary” is of high importance to the Navy today, and the South Dakota project represents “a clear national investment in acoustic superiority.” “Stealth is the cover charge, stealth is the price of admission, and while we have great access now we don’t take that for granted either,” Richard said. Once South Dakota joins the fleet – in 2018, according to the boat’s commissioning committee – lessons learned from the acoustic superiority features will help inform enhancements built into future Virginia class boats and the Ohio Replacement Program boomers, as well as the legacy Ohio-class ballistic missile subs and some Virginia-class boats. The boat is on track to deliver early despite the changes, he said. Richard said the under-construction South Dakota will feature a large vertical array, a special coating and machinery quieting improvements inside the boat. “So it requires us to really stay ahead of the technology that’s out there.The US Navy is building an upcoming Virginia-class attack submarine, the future USS South Dakota (SSN-790), with acoustic superiority features for the fleet to test out and ultimately include in both attack and ballistic missile submarines in the future. “This is about not just building a good submarine today, but ensuring the submarine is superior in 30-40 years from now,” he said. Backfitting the technologies on earlier ships is also under consideration, although the Navy has not yet made a final decision on whether to do so. The acoustic superiority upgrades will then be incorporated in the Block V submarines, which will begin procurement in 2019. ![]() ![]() The service will prove out the new modifications during a 2019 at-sea demonstration aboard the South Dakota, a Block III submarine slated for delivery in Feb. The Navy will serve as the systems integrator, Stevens said. O’Brien for cable assembly and electrical hull penetrators procurement, Northrop Grumman for array fairing manufacturing, Doerfer for fixture cart installation and Globe Composite Solutions for tiles and fairing manufacturing.Īccording to Naval Sea Systems Command, several contracts associated with the acoustic superiority effort are pending, however a spokeswoman declined to comment until time of award. for sensor manufacturing, Lockheed Martin for outboard electronics manufacturing, D.G. So far contracts have been awarded to: Precision Custom Components (PCC-York) for array fixtures manufacturing, UTC Aerospace Systems for array sections manufacturing, SEACON for cables and connectors manufacturing, PCB Piezotronics, Inc. We can hear better, and we can’t be heard as well.” “We’re improving the sonar system on the platform as well as improving the quieting, so we’re tackling both ends of it. “The key thing of a submarine is being able to hear your adversary before they hear you,” he said. The plan addresses the two ways submarines can better sneak up on enemy subs: by improving the “ears” of a submarine by improving sensor capability and by making less noise, thus becoming less traceable by sonar, he said. Mike Stevens, who manages the Virginia-class submarine program. The USS South Dakota (SSN-790) will be the first submarine to integrate the improvements, which include two large vertical arrays placed on each side of the vessel, a new treatment for the hull and other modifications aimed at quieting systems inside the ship, said Capt. The Navy has begun awarding contracts to companies for new acoustic superiority upgrades that will make Virginia-class attack submarines more stealthy, the service’s program manager said in a May interview with Defense Daily. ![]()
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