Ultra Maritime hull mounted sonar arrays provide continuous underwater detection and tracking, supporting anti-submarine warfare and naval defense operations.
London, UK – Ultra Maritime is continuing to grow its installed base of anti-submarine warfare (ASW) solutions on some of the world’s premier warships. Recently, Ultra Maritime’s UK flagship torpedo defense suite, ‘Sea Sentor’ Surface Ship Torpedo Defense (SSTD), passed its 50th successful sea acceptance test. At the same time, the Type 26 frigate, equipped with both SSTD and Ultra Maritime’s ‘Sea Searcher’ Hull Mounted Sonar (HMS) has continued its global expansion with its selection as the basis for Norway’s next generation frigate.
Together these milestones reflect the rapid pace of expansion and fielding of Ultra Maritime’s state-of-the-art ASW solutions. This expansion comes at a time when Ultra Maritime is simultaneously investing in non-traditional ASW technologies, like the UUV-deployable Sea Spear acoustic array, and the USV-ready Mission Pod for towed arrays, evolving rapidly to meet the new demands of a hybrid fleet.
Originally developed as the Royal Navy’s Sonar S2170 system, SSTD is a versatile solution that has been fitted to a wide range of warships and auxiliaries, including aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates, tankers and support ships. The system uses sophisticated sensor-to-effector sonar technology to detect incoming torpedoes and counter them with acoustic soft-kill effectors. It is an essential protection mechanism for any capital ship.
Within the next 10 years, at least seven of the world’s leading Navies, including the Royal Australian Navy for the new Hunter Class Frigates and the Royal Canadian Navy for the new River Class Destroyers, will be relying on this system to counter torpedo threats and another 30 ships will be protected by this essential capability.
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.
Dartmouth, Canada: Ultra Electronics Maritime Systems Inc (Ultra) has secured an initial three ship set production order from Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. (Lockheed) for the supply of Hull Mounted Sonars (HMS) for the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) ship. The latest order is valued at circa $19.5M and further supports manufacturing jobs at Ultra’s recently refurbished and expanded site located in Dartmouth, Halifax.
The CSC program is the largest and most complex shipbuilding initiative in Canada since World War II. Revitalizing the Canadian shipbuilding industry, the project is sustaining and creating thousands of highly-skilled jobs and enables Canada to domestically support the combat ships once in service. Lockheed Martin Canada holds the contract for the design and integration of the CSC Combat System with Ultra acting as the anti-submarine warfare lead, and supplying extensive capabilities, inclusive of the HMS.
Rikki Douglas, Vice President of Business Development, commented: “We are delighted to have secured the next phase of the CSC HMS contract on such an important program to Canada and we are fully committed, working closely with Lockheed Martin Canada, to deliver an exceptional sonar capability to the Royal Canadian Navy.”
Tom Graham, CSC Program Director, commented: “Ultra’s CSC team, based at the purpose built facility in Dartmouth, are well placed to execute the design, procurement, manufacture and supply of the HMS. We remain excited to be part of the wider CSC program, delivering state of the art equipment to the next generation of Canadian warships.”