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French Navy Atlantique 2 Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Ultra Maritime to Enhance ASW capabilities of Marine Nationale in France

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COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. – Ultra Maritime continues to expand its growing list of customers for the next generation of sonobuoy technologies, and is proud to announce a significant multi-product award from Thales Group in support of Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), the French Government’s defense procurement and technology agency. DGA will be procuring both active and passive sonobuoys, including some of the latest technologies from Ultra Maritime’s new U.S. production lines, that together will provide significant anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities.

As undersea domain awareness becomes increasingly critical, and submarine and uncrewed threats more and more stealthy, enhancements in sonobuoy performance make the difference between detecting an undersea threat and missing it. Following several years of development and recapitalization, Ultra Maritime now offers multiple fully qualified, volume production sonobuoys manufactured in plants in the U.S., Canada and UK, that together address the world’s most demanding ASW needs. Ultra Maritime, through Thales, will provide the Marine nationale with an enhanced ASW capability and an increased probability of detection of undersea threats.

Ultra Maritime will be supplying newly designed and qualified U.S.-built AN/SSQ 62E DICASS and AN/SSQ 53G DIFAR sonobuoys. These sonobuoys offer significant performance improvements and are equipped with cutting-edge battery technology which nearly doubles the operational life of the active sonobuoys and augments their acoustic output, while providing precise detection, localization and classification, ensuring reliability of outcomes in critical defense operations. Ultra Maritime will also supply G-size AN/SSQ 536G Bathythermal buoys from its Canadian site in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. G-size sonobuoys deliver advanced sonobuoy technology in a more compact form, ideal for rotary wing and Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) operations where minimizing payload dimensions and mass are important factors.

Anduril and Ultra Maritime Announce Exclusive Partnership on Groundbreaking Autonomous Ocean Sensing Capability

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BRAINTREE, Massachusetts – Anduril Industries and Ultra Maritime are proud to announce an exclusive partnership to develop a significant new capability in next generation unmanned subsea sensing, making it possible for U.S. and allied nations to enhance their submarine detection capabilities rapidly and inexpensively. By bringing together Ultra Maritime’s innovative Sea Spear deployable acoustic arrays and AI enabled acoustic processing with Anduril’s undersea autonomy capabilities, including Dive XL and Seabed Sentry, plus Anduril’s Lattice communications framework, the partnership will provide a major advance in distributed, low-cost undersea surveillance.

As enemy submarines grow quieter and greater in number, the need for low-cost solutions to submarine detection grows. Autonomous systems provide a clear path to low-cost, low-risk anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability, but have to date been hampered by inadequate technology. Issues of range, endurance, sensitivity, communication, scale and more have limited advances in autonomous or uncrewed ASW. Anduril and Ultra Maritime have developed an innovative approach to make autonomous undersea ASW possible.

The concept uses Anduril’s Dive XL to autonomously deliver and deploy Anduril’s Seabed Sentry modular undersea payload system, which in turn hosts Ultra Maritime’s Sea Spear lightweight sensing array as a payload. Once deployed, Sea Spear pushes Sonar processing to the tactical edge using modern AI techniques. The system then uses acoustic communications and Anduril’s Lattice framework to provide users real time, autonomous submarine sensing. Multiple systems can be deployed in a distributed manner, enabling a user to see detects distributed across large ocean areas. The joint effort is well underway and achieves end to end in-water testing in 2025.

Ultra Maritime Features First-of-its-Kind Lightweight Deployable Sonar Capability at Sea Air Space 2025

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As submarine and autonomous threats increase and become more stealthy, undersea domain awareness is becoming more critical than ever. Ultra Maritime will present a new, unique and innovative solution for these undersea threats in the form of a lightweight deployable sonar capability called Sea Spear at Sea Air Space 2025 next week in National Harbor, Maryland.

Including this exciting new technology, Ultra Maritime will highlight the following at its booth #1111:

Sea Spear – New Lightweight Deployable Sonar
Ultra Maritime unveils Sea Spear, a first-of-its-kind lightweight deployable sonar system that enhances submarine detection capabilities rapidly and inexpensively. As the maritime domain shifts, submarines become more stealthy and unmanned underwater vehicles grow in number, Sea Spear provides a solution for long endurance and long-range surveillance capability and threat monitoring. Deployable from crewed or uncrewed surface and underwater platforms, the 21-inch diameter unit expands to create a high-performance, wide-aperture array. Already well into its development phase and in-water testing, full operational demonstration will occur in 2025. As part of an exclusive partnership, Ultra Maritime’s Sea Spear will be deployed with Anduril’s Seabed Sentry, a network of ‘cable-less’ deep-sea nodes that sense, process and communicate critical subsea information in real time.

Next Generation Sonobuoys
Ultra Maritime is delivering a new generation of sonobuoys, revolutionizing submarine detection technology with unprecedented predictability and detection capabilities. These redesigned and independently manufactured systems incorporate significant advancements, including enhanced battery technology that extends the operational lifespan of active buoys. This breakthrough provides allied navies with a critical edge in undersea warfare, elevating defense operations to a new level of performance. Ultra Maritime has made significant investments that have fully qualified three new sonobuoy models with two additional qualifications in 2025, and towards creating the factory of the future configured specifically for sonobuoys and made to achieve reliable delivery at the production rate demands of the global market.

Ultra Maritime Mission Pod – Containerized Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
The Ultra Maritime Mission Pod is an extensive advancement in towed array packaging technology that enables smaller manned and unmanned surface vessels to greatly increase their anti-submarine warfare capabilities. This game-changing system houses and deploys towed arrays from a 20-foot ISO container, achieving a genuine modular, flexible and scalable solution for any Navy. The Ultra Maritime Mission Pod allows for ASW capabilities without the need for traditional, large, expensive manned surface combatant platforms.

Surface Ship Torpedo Defense
Ultra Maritime has made significant investment towards creating a complete layered torpedo defense solution comprised of multiple strategies and systems working together to detect and neutralize incoming torpedo threats. This next generation torpedo defense capability combines expendable countermeasures, both soft and hard kill, with towed detection and countermeasures, ensuring the safety of naval vessels from torpedo attacks. This integrated approach to torpedo defense is critical to address the growing submarine threat by significantly improving our survivability and drastically shortening the kill chain for an inbound threat.

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, periscope detection and other missions. Ultra Maritime will highlight a small form factor solution built upon NGSSR, for use on small and unmanned platforms, giving the ability to share data across both manned and unmanned networks and providing a common operating picture while performing surface search and other classified mission capabilities.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Michael H. Lee/Released

Ultra Maritime Awarded Subcontract for MK 48 MOD 7 Guidance and Control Heavyweight Torpedo Program

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BRAINTREE, Massachusetts — Ultra Maritime received a contract to provide the Acoustic Nose Array (ANA) for the MK 48 MOD 7 Guidance and Control section of the heavyweight torpedo in December 2024 from Lockheed Martin in support of their $245 million award for production, spares, production support material, engineering support and hardware repair of components for the MK 48 Guidance and Control Mod 7 program.

Under the terms of the contract, Ultra Maritime is manufacturing fully assembled Nose Array’s based out of its Braintree, Massachusetts, facility. These Nose Arrays incorporate a sonar array that is used to acquire targets and generate the target position data required for engagement.

“Through our ongoing partnership with Lockheed Martin, we are committed to supporting the U.S. Navy and allied nations in their mission to maintain maritime superiority,” said Robert Van Dyke, Vice President and General Manager of Ultra Maritime Seaborne Sensors and Systems.

Ultra Maritime also currently manufactures similar sections for the MK 54 MOD 0 Lightweight and MK 58 Compact Rapid Attack Weapon (CRAW) torpedoes. With decades of experience fabricating, assembling and delivering array assemblies, Ultra Maritime has positioned itself as a trusted transducer manufacturing partner in delivering this critical anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability to the fleet.

Ultra Maritime Passes Preliminary Design Review for Next Generation Multistatic Active Receive Sonobuoy

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London, UK – Ultra Maritime has successfully completed the Preliminary Design Review for the Multistatic Active Receive Sonobuoy (MSARS) as part of a UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) funded research and development program. MSARS is a next generation small form factor G-Size sonobuoy which will significantly improve the multistatic detection and localization performance compared to current multistatic sonobuoy technologies.

MSARS has been specifically designed to operate from Rotary Wing and Fixed Wing Uncrewed Air Systems (UAS), as well as from crewed platforms. It includes a patented interface technology to allow the platform’s mission system to directly program sonobuoys prior to launch.

This work is aligned to the Royal Navy’s Proteus UAS program and supports the Royal Navy’s Maritime Aviation Transformation strategy, which includes sonobuoy dispensing and data relay capabilities for Tier 1-2 UAS.

“Navies around the world are increasingly evaluating and adopting uncrewed air, surface and underwater platforms to conduct anti-submarine warfare (ASW) to assist their existing crewed platforms. Ultra Maritime is focused on developing and deploying world-leading ASW payloads for all these platform types. The MSARS development is an important part of the airborne element, alongside our significant internal investments in sonobuoy receivers, networking of ASW sensors and AI-assisted processing / tactical decision making,” said Andrew Anderson, Ultra Maritime Chief Technology Officer.

Ultra Maritime Highlights Airborne Capabilities at the Avalon Australian International Airshow

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ADELAIDE, South Australia – The Avalon Australian International Airshow will provide the perfect backdrop for Ultra Maritime to showcase emerging and existing airborne Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Electronic Warfare capabilities. Stop by the South Australia Defence Stand in Hall 3 at booth 3M25 to learn more about the following:

Next Generation Sonobuoys
Ultra Maritime’s next generation SSQ-53 and SSQ-62 sonobuoys are fully qualified per U.S. Navy standards and are currently used by allied navies globally. These new buoys are in production and Ultra Maritime is currently accepting orders for rapid delivery. With updated underlying technology and an improved supply chain, the company is positioned to provide sonobuoys at a production rate that meets the increasing global demand. While offering a full range of sonobuoys, Ultra Maritime is also the only manufacturer of G size sonobuoys (half-size) used internationally, as well as sonobuoy receivers.  

Electronic Warfare
Avalon 2025 will also provide an opportunity for Ultra Maritime to showcase its Electronic Warfare (EW) Systems which are in service in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and Royal Australia Airforce (RAAF). These capabilities enable informed critical decision-making in the ever evolving and increasingly complex electromagnetic threat landscape.

Unmanned System Payloads
Ultra Maritime continues to invest in next-generation Electronic Warfare capability based upon the proven and in-service digital receiver systems and has scaled this capability for use on small, unmanned platforms. This provides an ability to share data across both manned and unmanned networks while providing search, collection and other classified mission capabilities.

“Ultra Maritime is committed to supplying the very best sonobuoy capability to deliver world-class undersea warfare solutions,” said Mark Potter, Vice President and General Manager of Ultra Maritime Australia. “Our expertise in sonar, radar and electronic warfare, and torpedo defense will provide best-in-class capabilities within the maritime domain and position the business well to support the AUKUS pillars.”

Ultra Maritime Awarded CA$89 Million Contract for Surface Ship Torpedo Defense for the River-Class Destroyer Program

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DARTMOUTH, Canada – Ultra Maritime received a CA$89 million contract from Lockheed Martin Canada, Inc. to supply three shipsets of Surface Ship Torpedo Defense (SSTD) for the River-class destroyer (RCD) program.

SSTD provides a proven world class full ‘sense to effect’ torpedo defense capability in-service across the globe, relied upon by many navies to keep their ships and crews safe from the torpedo threat. The combination of a single in-line tow and automatic threat alerting provides unparalleled performance within a small ship footprint, maintaining a high probability of detection coupled with low false alarm rate whilst minimizing overall operator workload.

Ultra Maritime has more than 20 years of experience in this domain and is the trusted partner and world leader in providing torpedo defense solutions and countermeasures for both surface ships and submarines. With torpedo defense systems deployed and supported globally, including more than 30,000 expendable countermeasures, Ultra Maritime is uniquely positioned to bring integrated torpedo defense to the world’s navies. Integrated torpedo defense greatly enhances the protection of our navies through integrating expendable countermeasures, towed countermeasures and threat detection sensors to provide overall situational awareness and shorten the kill chain against torpedo threats. Ultra Maritime continues to invest to improve this capability and are proud to partner with Lockheed Martin Canada and the Canadian Department of National Defense (DND) to provide SSTD to the Royal Canadian Navy River-class.

“Having previously secured a three shipset production order to supply Hull Mounted Sonars (HMS) for the RCD program, as well as supplying twelve UWSU towed arrays into the Halifax-class, Ultra Maritime is pleased to play a pivotal role in delivering state-of-the-art Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities to the Royal Canadian Navy,” said John Gallagher, Vice President and General Manager of Ultra Maritime Canada. “We are fully committed in our partnership with Lockheed Martin Canada, our Canadian workforce and suppliers. More importantly, we are proud to serve the Royal Canadian Navy and take great pride in providing our life-saving capabilities.”

Steve Rogers, Senior Director of RCD Programs at Ultra Maritime, commented, “This is excellent news for the team as we move into 2025. We are well placed to execute the SSTD program utilizing expertise across our global Ultra Maritime lines of business, led by the team here in Dartmouth.”

The RCD program and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s (ISED) Industrial Technological Benefits (ITB) policy have played a pivotal role for Ultra Maritime to establish an ASW Center of Excellence in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. It is a prime example of fostering economic growth and technological innovation in Canada. Ultra Maritime has made more than $20 million in capital investments that have created more than 150 high-value manufacturing jobs and supported a vast network of suppliers, including numerous small and medium-sized businesses.

Ultra Maritime Australia to Provide World Leading Sonar on Hunter Class Frigates

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ADELAIDE, South Australia – The Royal Australian Navy’s Hunter class frigates will be fitted with Ultra Maritime’s world-leading 2150 Bow Sonar under a contract with BAE Systems Maritime Australia (BAESMA). The delivery of the 2150 Bow Sonar will expand Australian sovereign undersea warfare capabilities, providing active and passive anti-submarine warfare (ASW) modes, mine and obstacle avoidance sonar, integrated underwater communications, and automated torpedo detection, classification and localization.

“Ultra Maritime is committed to building a strategic partnership with the Commonwealth of Australia, as we continue to invest and grow our support to the Royal Australian Navy fleet with delivery of world-class undersea warfare solutions,” said Mark Potter, Vice President and General Manager of Ultra Maritime Australia. “Our expertise in sonar, radar and electronic warfare, and torpedo defense will provide best-in-class capabilities within the maritime domain.”

Ultra Maritime has operated in Australia for more than 15 years, expanding from its indigenous electronic warfare capability to establish a sovereign sonar sustainment solution to support its Integrated Sonar System (ISS), as installed on the Hobart class air warfare destroyers (DDG). As Ultra Maritime’s Australian workforce continues to grow, we will continue to work closely with local industry to further maximize opportunities for Australian industry to assist with the Bow Sonar capability.

Ultra Maritime Collaborates with University of Liverpool to Develop Artificial Intelligence for Passive Sonar

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London, U.K. – Ultra Maritime is pleased to announce a collaboration with the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Distributed Algorithms at the University of Liverpool, a UK Research and Innovation funded programme. The research focuses on using machine learning to improve the tracking and detection of vessels using passive sonar, targeted at Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Torpedo Defence applications.

The initial work has shown promising results in improving the detection performance compared to traditional processing techniques, allowing Operators and Automatic Classifiers to extract signals from further into the noise as well as improving tracking performance.

“We are very excited to further develop our relationship with the University of Liverpool, who are recognized leaders in Autonomy and Distributed Algorithms,” said Andrew Anderson, Ultra Maritime Chief Technology Officer. “AI/ML technologies will provide disruptive benefits to many aspects of the ASW mission, and we are looking forward to rapidly transitioning this exciting research into Ultra Maritime’s portfolio of ASW and Torpedo Defense systems.”

Professor Simon Maskell, Director of the CDT at the University of Liverpool, commented: “The CDT seeks to train students to become future leaders with a valuable combination of skills that is otherwise hard to find in a single person. Indeed, we aim to help those students acquire a synergistic understanding of both next-generation AI/ML and future computing together with a well-honed ability to solve pressing real-world problems. It is a real pleasure to see one of those students capitalizing on the training environment provided by the CDT to work closely in partnership with Ultra Maritime to make a difference in this important context.”

Ultra Maritime prides itself on investing in the future of undersea warfare solutions for allied navies worldwide. This collaboration continues to build on those investments, providing next-generation, technologically advanced AI/ML solutions for maritime domain dominance.

Next Generation Sonobuoys - Ultra Maritime

Ultra Maritime Receives £18 Million Contract for Sonobuoys from the UK Ministry of Defence

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GREENFORD, UK– Ultra Maritime announces an £18 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to supply sonobuoys to the Royal Navy’s Merlin Maritime Patrol Helicopter. Sonobuoys are a critical element of the UK’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capability, delivering undersea domain awareness and enabling the Royal Navy to protect UK home waters, the UK’s Continuous at Sea Deterrent and the Carrier Strike Group.  

The contract for sonobuoy engineering, manufacturing, logistics and support awarded to Ultra Maritime ensures the Royal Navy maintains a persistent ASW surveillance capability detecting, locating and tracking hostile submarines, and signifies the Royal Navy’s confidence in Ultra Maritime for this critical capability. 

“Ultra Maritime’s support to the Royal Navy’s critical mission is at the heart of our business as the world’s leading provider of sonobuoy and ASW solutions,” said Wayne Clifton, Vice President and General Manager of Ultra Maritime UK. “This investment by the MoD enables the UK’s armed forces to deal with modern and evolving submarine threats. Ultra Maritime is investing in a new state-of-the-art facility which will enable the production of sonobuoys to be scaled when required, whilst also allowing for further ASW capabilities to be manufactured and supported.”

Ultra Maritime is continuing to work closely with the UK MoD on the design of miniature sonobuoys for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms, signifying a commitment to a long-term partnership with Ultra Maritime for the supply of this essential capability.

Ultra Maritime is investing significantly in UK infrastructure and jobs to support the Royal Navy’s ongoing needs, and this contract will result in the creation of new high skilled roles in Ultra Maritime’s London-based facilities.