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Ultra Maritime Announces Modular, Automated, Containerized Anti-Submarine Warfare Mission Pod for Small Combatants and Autonomous Vessels

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ARLINGTON, Virginia – Ultra Maritime proudly announces a substantial advancement in towed array packaging technology that will enable smaller manned and unmanned surface vessels to greatly increase their anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities. Following several years of internal investment and building on a rich legacy of sonar capabilities, the new Ultra Maritime Mission Pod has now cleared its Critical Design Review (CDR) and is being actively bid into worldwide opportunities. Visit the Ultra Maritime booth #1018 at the Surface Navy Association’s National Symposium this week to learn more.

This innovative design deploys Ultra Maritime’s family of towed arrays from the same winch and deployment system. The Mission Pod is a leapfrog in automation and packaging technology, making it possible to house and deploy those arrays from a 20-foot ISO container, thereby achieving genuine modularity of design where a towed array can be used as a roll-on, roll-off asset. This allows for ASW capabilities without the need for traditional large, expensive manned surface combatant platforms.

“The 20-foot containerized Mission Pod will play a significant role in countering both the North Atlantic and Western Pacific submarine threats, as well as other areas of operation, with an automated, flexible and scalable solution for any Navy,” said Carlo Zaffanella, President and CEO of Ultra Maritime. “With the significant cost of major combatants and the requisite large crews to man them, Ultra Maritime’s Mission Pod provides an affordable, distributed ASW capability that can be deployed on smaller, less expensive manned and unmanned ships.”

The Mission Pod is designed to meet NATO-ANEP 91 and 99, as well as relevant Det Norske Veria (DNV) interchangeability standards. The Mission Pod is designed for installation on current and future surface combatants, vessels of opportunity and unmanned platforms.

Ultra Maritime SNA 2025 Invite

Ultra Maritime Showcases Future Anti-Submarine Warfare Capabilities at the Surface Navy Association’s 2025 National Symposium

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Ultra Maritime is showcasing a wide range of emerging and existing anti-submarine warfare capabilities and other technologies for attendees at this week’s Surface Navy Association’s 2025 National Symposium in Arlington, Virginia.

Portfolio highlights will include the following capabilities:

Surface Ship Torpedo Defense

Experts will be on hand to discuss next generation torpedo defense, an area in which Ultra Maritime has invested to bring forward a first-of-its-kind layered torpedo defense with both soft and hard kill abilities. This solution is comprised of multiple strategies and systems working together to detect and neutralize incoming torpedo threats, ensuring the safety of naval vessels from torpedo attacks.

Acoustic Sensors

Ultra Maritime’s acoustic sensors provide integrated technologies and tactics to dominate the undersea domain. These systems can operate remotely, independently and persistently, with or without manned platforms, allowing our payloads to remain on station performing the critical ASW mission in the harshest environments.

Unmanned System Payloads

Ultra Maritime will feature its investment in next-generation navigational radar by way of a small form factor radar solution. Based upon the proven and mature Next Generation Surface Search Radar (NGSSR), Ultra Maritime has scaled this radar for use on small, unmanned platforms, giving the ability to share data across both manned and unmanned networks, while providing surface search and other classified mission capabilities.

Next Generation Surface Search Radar

Next Generation Surface Search Radar (NGSSR) is the Navy’s first multi-mission navigation radar that enhances warfighting capabilities and safety of navigation. This radar can be reconfigured through software updates and is designed to support combat systems, surface search, safety of navigation and periscope detection. Ultra Maritime will highlight the enhanced capabilities on the horizon, to include modernized Periscope Detection and Discrimination (PDD), improved Fault Detection Fault Isolation (FDFI) to improve maintainability, integration with combat systems and Advanced Training Domain (ATD). 

WHEN: Jan. 14-16, 2025

WHERE: Booth 1018, Hyatt Regency Cystal City

MEDIA CONTACT: Danielle Vencak, danielle.vencak@umaritime.com

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan Announces First-of-Its-Kind Partnership between Ultra Maritime and Bharat Dynamics Limited on the Co-Production of U.S. Sonobuoys

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COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. – During a visit to Delhi, India, on Jan. 6, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan shared news that the White House is “welcoming a new initiative between Ultra Maritime and Bharat Dynamics Limited that will enhance undersea domain awareness through a first-of-its-kind partnership on the co-production of U.S. sonobuoys.”

Ultra Maritime, a U.S.-based world-leader in the design and production of undersea warfare capabilities, has partnered with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), an Indian Defence Public Sector Undertaking, to supply and manufacture sonobuoys for the Indian Navy to U.S. Navy standards, with production split across the U.S. and India, in accordance with “Make in India” principles.

In line with the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (ICET) launched in May 2022, the Ultra Maritime and BDL teams will also pursue new sonobuoy technologies to optimize their acoustic performance in the unique environment of the Indian Ocean, enabling wide area search through bespoke multi-static active solutions.

“The announcement today by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reflects Ultra Maritime’s commitment to the Indian Navy in partnering with Bharat Dynamics Limited for production and delivery of world-class sonobuoys, and our resolute commitment to continue to develop forward leaning solutions to unique undersea challenges,” said Ultra Maritime CEO Carlo Zaffanella.

“Bharat Dynamics Limited is completely aligned with the Indian Navy to meet the operational demand for Make in India sonobuoys and is committed to standing up joint production with Ultra Maritime in Vishakhapatnam,” added Chairman of BDL Commodore (ret) A. Madhavarao. “This initiative highlights the strategic importance of U.S.-Indian defense industry cooperation and our ability to jointly move forward with urgency to enhance global security.”

“Having experienced the Indian Navy’s Anti-Submarine Warfare prowess firsthand during Indian Malabar naval exercises in the past, it is an honor today to support both the U.S. Navy and Indian Navy in maintaining Undersea Domian Awareness in the Indian Ocean theater through the Make in India sonobuoy initiative,” said Rear Admiral USN (ret) Mark Kenny, Ultra Maritime Senior Vice President for Strategy and Business Development. “The Ultra Maritime sonobuoys co-produced in India are interchangeable and interoperable between U.S. Navy, Indian Navy and allied P-8, MH-60R and the MQ-9B Sea Guardian aircraft.”

Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jordan Jennings

Ultra Maritime Receives $420 Million Award for Next Generation Surface Search Radar

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Braintree, Mass. – The U.S. Navy awarded Ultra Maritime a $420 million firm-fixed-price contract for production of AN/SPS-73(V) 18 Next Generation Surface Search Radar systems, with an initial value of $84 million. Work will be performed in Braintree, Massachusetts (73%); Wake Forest, North Carolina (17%); and Chantilly, Virginia (10%), and is expected to be completed by August 2027. If all options are exercised, work will continue through September 2031.

Click here for the official DoD award announcement.

Next Generation Sonobuoys - Ultra Maritime - June 2024

Ultra Maritime Receives $99 Million Other Transaction Agreement from U.S. Navy for Q53H Sonobuoys

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COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. – Ultra Maritime has been awarded a Sole Source Firm Fixed Priced contract in the amount of $99,999,738.00 for the AN/SSQ-53H Sonobuoy Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) for the Navy in support of annual training, peacetime operations and testing expenditures, as well as, to maintain sufficient inventory to support the execution of major combat operations based on naval munitions requirements process.    

“With our LRIP award for the Q53 sonobuoys, we at Ultra Maritime are honored to play a pivotal role in advancing anti-submarine warfare capabilities for the U.S. Navy and our allied nations,” expressed Ed Cook, Vice President and General Manager of Ultra Maritime U.S. “Our dedicated team of engineers and manufacturing experts work tirelessly to rapidly design, test and deliver hundreds of thousands of sonobuoys annually, reinforcing naval defense operations globally. This commitment underscores our unwavering dedication to enhancing maritime security and safeguarding international waters.”

Ultra Maritime recently made the largest investment in company history for a more streamlined production capability and reliable delivery of these new sonobuoys. The company offers a full range of sonobuoys and is the only manufacturer of G size (half-size) buoys used internationally.

See Ultra Maritime’s full range of sonobuoys.

Ultra Maritime Announces Liz Baker as Vice President of International Business Development

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Ultra Maritime is pleased to announce Liz Baker has joined our team as the Vice President of International Business Development, reporting to Mark Kenny, Senior Vice President of Strategy, Technology and Business Development. In this role, Liz will oversee the strategy and execution of partnerships for all Ultra Maritime lines of business in NATO countries and other international markets.

“I am delighted to be joining Ultra Maritime as Vice President of International Business Development at such an important time for our business and when Ultra Maritime’s solutions have such a significant role to play in protecting us and our allies around the globe,” said Liz.

Liz joins Ultra Maritime following nine years with Thales in the UK, where she was responsible for all UK Exports, successfully guiding the organization towards its largest ever export win and order intake. Latterly, she focused on domestic and export sales in the Under Water Domain for Thales in the UK, as well as running the company’s relationship with BAE Systems. Prior to this, Liz led government campaigns in the UK for Airbus Defence & Space, and worked as a consultant for other major defense primes including QinetiQ and General Dynamics.

Liz holds a Masters in Natural Sciences from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and a diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She is a fluent French speaker and has lived in Europe and Asia. Welcome aboard Liz, we are delighted to have you as part of the Ultra Maritime team!

Next Generation Sonobuoys - Ultra Maritime - June 2024

Ultra Maritime Receives $49 Million Other Transaction Agreement from U.S. Navy for Q62 Next Generation Sonobuoys Under the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium

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Ultra Maritime Receives $49 Million Other Transaction Agreement from U.S.
Navy for Q62G Sonobuoys under the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium

Ultra Maritime is the first and only qualified provider of the Q-62 and Q-53 sonobuoys.

COLUMBIA CITY, Indiana – July 29, 2024 – Ultra Maritime has been awarded a Sole Sourced Firm Fixed Priced contract in the amount of $49,000,000.00 for the AN/SSQ-62G Sonobuoy Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) for the Navy in support of annual training, peacetime operations and testing expenditures, as well as to maintain sufficient inventory to support the execution of major combat operations based on naval munitions requirements process.

Esco Acquires SMaP

ESCO Technologies Acquires Ultra Maritime SMaP

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ESCO Technologies announced yesterday the acquisition of Ultra Maritime’s Signature Management and Power (SMaP) line of business. Ultra Maritime would like to recognize the SMaP team for their innovative work, unique expertise and dedication to meeting commitments. SMaP has become a recognized industry leader for some of the most mission-critical submarine and surface ship technologies in both the UK and U.S. Leadership at both ESCO and Ultra Maritime have remarked that the success of SMaP is due to the people who show up every day. As the process to final closing moves ahead, Ultra Maritime sends our sincere appreciation to the entire SMaP team for all they have done for our customers and business, and acknowledge their bright future delivering for customers’ missions as a key part of ESCO Technologies.

Read the full press release at
https://investor.escotechnologies.com/news-releases/news-release-details/esco-announces-acquisition-navy-supplier

Ultra Maritime hosts Royal Canadian Navy group

Ultra Maritime Hosts Royal Canadian Navy

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Ultra Maritime had the pleasure of hosting Commodore Trevor MacLean, Capt(N) Mike Stefanson, Chief Petty Officer First Class Cavel Shebib, and CANFLTLANT Staff for a discussion on Ultra Maritime’s world-leading sonar technology. UM is the world’s premier provider of undersea warfare systems, products and solutions, delivering advanced technologies that create maritime operational advantages. This visit included a tour of our newly expanded Dartmouth facility which houses Sonobuoy production and our new Towed Array Sonar ‘Center of Excellence’.

UM invests heavily in Atlantic Canada and creates skilled jobs for a growing workforce in the Aerospace & Defense Sector.

USS Fitzgerald with Ultra Maritime NGSSR

USS Fitzgerald Successfully Completes Sea Trials with Next Generation Radar

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Photo credit to the official USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) Facebook

The USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) recently completed sea trials, equipped with Ultra Maritime’s cutting-edge AN/SPS-73(V)18 Next Generation Surface Search Radar (NGSSR). This state-of-the-art radar system, built on a software-based architecture, prioritizes safe navigation, surface search, and periscope detection capabilities. NGSSR represents the pinnacle of surface search radar technology, incorporating lessons learned from the 2017 collisions involving USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) and USS John S. McCain (DDG 56). With its versatile and software-defined features, NGSSR replaces the Navy’s current AN/SPS-67, legacy variants of AN/SPS-73, BridgeMaster E-series, and commercial-off-the-shelf radars.

Ed Cook, Vice President/General Manager of Ultra Maritime US, emphasized, “Following the tragic incidents involving the USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain, our dedicated team at Ultra Maritime worked tirelessly to provide the U.S. Navy with a crucial technical solution for enhanced navigation safety. The successful deployment of NGSSR on board the USS Fitzgerald not only marks a significant milestone for our program but also highlights the unwavering dedication, persistence, and collaboration between Ultra Maritime and the Navy. We take immense pride in our purpose, which is to protect our Navy and Nation through innovative, mission-ready solutions.”