The US Navy has awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to upgrade the anti-submarine warfare systems aboard the P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft.
Under the $17.5m contract, the company will install the new AN/USQ-78(V) acoustic subsystem for the P-3C Orion, upgrade its software and procure acoustic receiver tech refresh systems.
The upgrades to enhance the acoustic capabilities and reduce part obsolescence will also accept future modifications while improving reliability and maintainability.
The installation of AN/USQ-78(V) system will use air acoustic rapid commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) insertion approach in order to provide technical refreshes to the baseline system.
Lockheed Martin undersea systems business vice president and general manager Denise Saiki said the upgrade provides an open COTS digital architecture that provided enhanced acoustic capability to the entire fleet maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
Work under the contract will be carried out at the company’s undersea systems facility in Manassas, Virginia.
