Ultra Maritime is collaborating with the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde to explore innovative ceramic materials aimed at bolstering anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and torpedo defence systems.
The partnership is facilitated by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Ultrasonic Engineering (FUSE CDT).
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University of Glasgow professor and FUSE CDT co-director Sandy Cochran said: “It’s great to be working with Ultra Maritime through our world-leading FUSE CDT.
“The technical excellence of Ultra Maritime matches our own and the materials on which we’re working together will undoubtedly be extremely important for ASW and torpedo defence in an increasingly uncertain global environment.”
The aim is to enhance the performance of active sonars by raising their source levels, as well as to improve the detection capabilities of passive sonars. These advancements are vital for the development of advanced ASW technologies.
Ultra Maritime chief technology officer Andrew Anderson said: “We are very excited to announce our relationship with FUSE and looking forward to rapidly transitioning this exciting research into Ultra Maritime’s portfolio of ASW and torpedo defence systems.
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By GlobalData“This is a great example of where Ultra Maritime is investing in fundamental research to advance UK defence industrial capability.”
According to Ultra Maritime, the importance of undersea domain awareness is escalating as threats from submarines and uncrewed underwater vehicles grow more sophisticated in their stealth capabilities. Improvements in the performance of sonobuoys are becoming a decisive factor in the ability to detect these undersea threats rather than overlook them.
This collaboration follows a new contract secured by Ultra Maritime with Thales Group last week, which will facilitate the provision of advanced sonobuoy systems to the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), France’s defence procurement and technology agency.
The order includes a mix of active and passive sonobuoys, incorporating advanced technologies from Ultra Maritime’s recently established production facilities in the US. This acquisition is set to enhance the ASW capabilities of DGA.
Ultra Maritime is set to deliver newly developed and qualified sonobuoys, specifically the AN/SSQ 62E DICASS and AN/SSQ 53G DIFAR models, which are manufactured in the US.
Earlier this year, Ultra Maritime signed an agreement with Bharat Dynamics Limited to establish a cooperative manufacturing framework for US-standard sonobuoys within India.
