MIAMI, July 10 (UPI) -- The Sea TALON undersea surveillance system passed a key round of tests in its development as anti-submarine component of the U.S. Littoral Combat Ship.
Lockheed Martin said Monday that the Sea TALON, or Tactical Littoral Ocean Network, was capable of operating at the optimal depth for acoustic performance and that the system could be towed at various depths and speeds without affecting performance.
The Sea TALON is a multi-band transducer array that is towed by a semi-submersible vehicle deployed off the Littoral Combat Ship, or LCS, as a means of monitoring the underwater environment. It is designed to detect the quietest submarines lurking in the often noisy littoral areas.
Since the LCS is expected to handle destroyer duties both in the open ocean and in the shallower littoral waters along coastlines, anti-submarine warfare capabilities will be extremely important
"This marks another key milestone in the life of this essential program, which will provide an important new anti-submarine warfare capability in the littoral battlespace at lower the risk to ships and sailors," said Navy program officer Capt. Walt Wright.
Sea TALON, which is based on Lockheed's AN/WLD-1 mine-hunting system was tested off the Florida coast. It will undergo further testing in Florida and upstate New York in the lead-up to delivery to the Navy in 2008.
