Navy orders more electro-optical gun sensor systems

NORTHAMPTON, Mass., July 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has ordered additional electro-optical sensors for gun systems used on Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticonderoga-class cruisers.

The order, which is the exercise of a contract option, is for nine MK 20 electro-optical sensor systems and was given to L-3 KEO.

The order, once completed, will bring the total number of the systems ordered by the Navy from L-3 KEO since 2011 to 61.

"We are very proud of our long history of providing the U.S. Navy with a robust and versatile optical sensor solution that can support a wide variety of important missions," said Matthew Richi, president of L-3 KEO. "Our system delivers outstanding mission capability and targeting accuracy to the surface warfare community."

The MK 20 is a part of both the MK 34 and MK 48 gun weapon systems. It provides three-dimensional, time-tagged target position data and day and night imagery to support visual detection and identification, navigation, surveillance and situational awareness.

The systems will be built over the next two years.