U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare (ASW) experts are upgrading the MH-60R ASW helicopter fleet with a special submarine-hunting radar system designed to detect and classify submarine periscopes as they pop briefly out of the water.
Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station announced a $67.7 million contract to Lockheed Martin Corp., which manufacturers the MH-60R helicopter, to provide as many as 103 AN/APS-153(V)1 automatic radar periscope detection and discrimination multi-mode radar kits to upgrade the MH-60R fleet.
The APS-153 radar, designed by Telephonics Corp. in Farmingdale, N.Y., is rugged, lightweight, has low-prime power, offers extremely small target detection, high-resolution imaging, and long-range surface search.
Telephonics engineers designed and developed the AN/APS-153(V) for the rugged maritime operating environment of Navy MH-60R helicopter, which the Navy uses for ASW; anti-surface warfare; command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR); surface surveillance; maritime interdiction; combat search and rescue; medical evacuation; logistical support; identification friend or foe; battle damage assessment; naval surface fire support; and imaging.
