Navy enlists high technology

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By UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL

The U.S. Navy and major American defense contractors are working on new high-tech systems to confront the renewed dangers of submarine warfare in the 21st century.

Remote Multi-Mission Vehicles operating below the surface of the sea and MH-60R helicopters operating above them are two of the Navy's high-tech, front-line weapons in the fight against the new submarine threat.

In September, Lockheed Martin handed over its second Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle to the Navy.

The RMMV is designed to boost mine countermeasure capabilities for DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class destroyers and the Littoral Combat Ship, United Press International reported at the time. Lockheed Martin said it handed over its first RMMV to the Navy in April 2007.

Lockheed Martin described the RMMV as "a semi-submersible, semi-autonomous, unmanned vehicle that tows a variable-depth sensor to detect, localize, classify and identify undersea threats at a safe distance from friendly ships."

The RMMV functions as a mobile subsystem for the Navy's AN/WLD-1 Remote Minehunting System (RMS). The RMMV pulls behind it a sonar sensor, advanced communications equipment and software to integrate the RMS into the host warship's combat system.

Lockheed Martin said RMMV sends real-time mine sonar images to its host ship by data link. The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has ordered three RMMVs from the company to be manufactured at Lockheed Martin's Riviera Beach, Fla., plant.

"Delivery of the second production unit, just four months after the initial production unit delivery, clearly demonstrates the RMMV production team's commitment to 'mission success' and ability to deliver results," John Bowen, Lockheed Martin's senior program manager of the Remote Minehunting System Program, said in September.

Lockheed Martin is also building new MH-60R helicopters to increase the Navy's anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities. The company says new high-tech integrated systems allow a single MH-60R to operate as effectively as two previous-generation Navy ASW copters.

The MH-60R carries an acoustic sonar suite to give greater range for locating submarines, and a multi-mode, long-range search radar to locate and monitor surface vessels. The equipment is designed to be fitted far more quickly to the helicopters.

The Navy has signed a $955 million contract with Lockheed Martin for the MH-60R, which the company now describes as "the U.S. Navy's most advanced submarine hunting and surface warfare helicopter." The MH-60R was designed as a successor for the Navy's current force of SH-60B and SH-60F Seahawk helicopters in ASW and anti-surface warfare operations. They also double for use in search and rescue, vertical replenishment, naval surface fire support, logistics support, personnel transport, medical evacuation and communications and data relay, the company said.

The first MH-60R operational squadron has been designated the HSM-71 "Raptors," scheduled to go on operational duty with an aircraft carrier strike group in 2009.