Article Posted on : - Oct 18, 2011

MK54 lightweight torpedo. Photo: US Navy.

TEWKSBURY, MASSACHUSETTS (BNS): US Navy has awarded a $42.6 million contract to Raytheon for the procurement of MK54 lightweight torpedo hardware.

Under the contract, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) will deliver a total of 100 MK54 kits for US fleet inventory and in support of foreign military sales, according to a news release by the company.

Raytheon is the US Navy's sole production supplier for lightweight torpedoes, in production since 1999.

The MK 54 can be deployed from a surface ship, helicopter or fixed wing aircraft to track, classify and attack underwater targets.

It uses sophisticated processing algorithms to analyze the information, edit out false targets or countermeasures, and then pursue identified threats.

Work on the contracts will be performed at Raytheon IDS' Torpedo and Readiness Center, co-located with the US Navy at NUWC Division Keyport, Washington, and at the Seapower Capability Center, Portsmouth, Rhode Island.