Lockheed Martin sends Navy new RMMV

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin said Monday it has handed over a third Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle to the U.S. Navy.

The new Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle, or RMMV, will boost "the mine countermeasures capability for both DDG 51 Arleigh Burke class destroyers and the Littoral Combat Ship -- LCS," Lockheed Martin said in a statement Monday: "The first and second RMMV were delivered to the Navy in April and August 2007, respectively," it said.

"The RMMV is a robust unmanned, semi-submersible, semi-autonomous vehicle that can be adapted to a broad spectrum of applications and missions, including towing variable-depth sensors to detect, localize, classify and identify undersea threats at a safe distance from friendly ships," Lockheed Martin said.

"The RMMV provides all-weather, low-observable operations, high endurance, interchangeable mission system electronics, and real-time data transfer capability beyond line of sight," the company said.

"The RMMV is the integral mobile subsystem of the Navy's AN/WLD-1 Remote Mine-hunting System -- RMS -- which includes the RMMV, a launch and retrieval system for the RMMV, the RMMV-towed sonar sensor, advanced communications equipment and software that integrates RMS into the host ship's combat system," Lockheed Martin said.

"Launched and controlled remotely from forward-deployed ships, the RMMV gives carrier and expeditionary strike groups real-time, over-the-horizon mine reconnaissance capability," the company said

"In 2005, the Naval Sea Systems Command awarded Lockheed Martin a low-rate initial production contract for three RMMVs; a contract for four more RMMVs was awarded in 2006. The RMMV is produced at Lockheed Martin's Riviera Beach, FL facility," the company said.

"The Navy now has a steadily growing capability to detect and classify mines at safe distances because of the RMS program," said Gary Humes, Mine Warfare Program Manager, U.S. Navy Program Executive Office Littoral and Mine Warfare.

"I am extremely proud of our Lockheed Martin team for successfully reaching this milestone," said Jim Weitzel, vice president of Lockheed Martin's Riviera Beach business unit. "The delivery of this technologically advanced product significantly enhances ship and crew safety sending the vehicle into the danger zone instead."