Raytheon and US Navy collaborate to optimize minehunting sonar

Extends partnership of Rhode Island's undersea experts
PORTSMOUTH, R.I., Aug. 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) is working closely with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) - Division Newport to enhance the features of the company's AN/AQS-20A minehunting sonar. Together, the team is analyzing the system's synthetic aperture sonar to fully optimize its ability to capture and process high- and low-resolution images of mine threats undersea.

"Extending our long history of collaboration with our NUWC neighbors, this project brings together our respective sonar experts to maximize the performance of a critical undersea warfare capability," said Kevin Peppe, vice president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems' Seapower Capability Systems. "Our goal is to build on the system's proven performance and further the advantage that AN/AQS-20A provides to the Navy to safely detect and effectively identify these undersea threats."

Under a 'work for private party' contract funded by Raytheon, NUWC joins the ongoing initiatives of the AN/AQS-20A team which has been providing these systems to the U.S. Navy for more than 10 years. The system leverages advanced sonar technologies to support the Navy's critical minehunting missions, ensuring safe access and passage for military and civilian vessels on the world's oceans and waterways.

Enhancements provided by the synthetic aperture sonar include higher-quality imaging of objects found deep undersea to aid in the identification and classification of mines. Through a series of lab- and sea-based tests, the team will extensively evaluate and exercise the sonar's features to optimize the quality of both high- and low-resolution imaging.