Lockheed to Supply Low Frequency Sonars for Danish and Indian MH-60R Seahawks Helicopter

Lockheed Martin has won a $181.7 million to produce and deliver 39 AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low-Frequency Sonars (ALFS) to the USN and FMS customers, for integration into MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopters.

Under a $181.74 million contract modification from Naval Air Systems Command, announced on 4 August, 24 sonar systems will be provided to India and 7 ALFS to Denmark, in addition to 8 ALFS for the US Navy, into MH-60R Seahawk aircraft, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement today.

India is buying a total of 24 helicopters under a $2.1 billion deal confirmed by the country in February this year. For the record, the Indian Navy MH-60R weapons package is expected to include Kongsberg’s Naval Strike Missile in its helicopter launched variant (known as NSM-HL).

The contract award comes after the government of Denmark announced in April this year it had ordered torpedoes, ALFS and sonobuoys for its nine MH-60R Seahawk helicopters.

All work under the contract is expected to be completed by December 2024.

About the AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low-Frequency Sonar :

The AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low-Frequency Sonar (ALFS) is the primary undersea warfare (USW) sensor of the MH-60R multi-mission helicopter. This integrated dipping sonar system enables the MH-60R to accomplish the assigned ASW missions of submarine detection, tracking, localization and classification. It also performs missions relating to acoustic intercept, underwater communications and environmental data acquisition.

The AN/AQS-22 is the only in-service dipping sonar with the multi-frequency operation. This capability enables the AN/AQS-22 to adapt its performance to varying environmental conditions. With a rapid search rate, the AN/AQS-22 identifies and neutralizes threats sooner, enabling it to cover a larger area. The AN/AQS-22 also permits a longer detection range over a wider area, reducing the number of helicopters required to perform active anti-submarine warfare (ASW) screening.

About the MH-R helicopters:

The MH-60Rs are in service with the navies of the United States, Australia and Denmark, and are used to perform search and rescue, troop transport, medical evacuation, ship-to-ship replenishment, and humanitarian relief operations, in addition to their primary mission of anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare.

The U..S Navy is the main operator of the MH-60R with 289 units in its fleet. It is the primary anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare helicopter in the fleet.

The MH-60R combines the features of the SH-60B and SH-60F aircraft. Its sensors package includes an MTS-FLIR, the AN/APS-147 multi-mode radar/IFF interrogator, an advanced airborne fleet data link, and a more advanced airborne active Low-Frequency Sonar (ALFS). Offensive capabilities are improved by the addition of new Mk-54 air-launched torpedoes and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles.

Source: Air Recognition