L-3 ELAC Nautik announced today that it has been awarded a $26 million contract to upgrade the Walrus-class fleet of submarines for the Royal Netherlands Navy. This modernization effort is the first step in a significant sonar update of the Walrus class aimed at keeping the submarines in worldwide service until 2025.

“L-3’s upgrade of the Walrus class will build upon the latest German and French conventional submarine designs, while adding surface and bottom mapping and mine avoidance array capabilities,” said Gerhard Jordt, managing director of L-3 ELAC Nautik. “We are committed to offering advanced technologies and flexible solutions to meet customer requirements in the most demanding naval environments.”

The initial upgrade effort calls for the modernization of three of the submarines’ medium range sonar systems. Installation of the first system is expected to be complete by the end of 2009.

L-3 ELAC Nautik, based in Kiel, Germany, is a leading supplier of hydro-acoustic solutions. To learn more about L-3 ELAC Nautik, please visit the company’s Web site at www.elac-nautik.com.

Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications employs over 64,000 people worldwide and is a prime contractor in aircraft modernization and maintenance, C3ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems and government services. L-3 is also a leading provider of high technology products, subsystems and systems. The company reported 2007 sales of US$14 billion.