Northrop Grumman, Ultra Electronics collaborating on maritime domain awareness capabilities for autonomous systems

Northrop Grumman Corporation announced on June 13 that it has signed a memorandum of agreement with Ultra Electronics to deliver new maritime domain awareness (MDA) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities for Falls Church, VA-based Northrop Grumman’s family of autonomous systems.

Creating an effective understanding of the maritime environment requires long endurance systems with sensors and open mission systems integrated architectures that operate from the undersea to space. Persistent acoustic surveillance is critical to the ASW mission and maritime intelligence gathering. Developing enhanced systems with these capabilities is the primary focus of this collaboration.

“Ultra Electronics is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of solutions for surface and undersea acoustic surveillance,” said Brian Chappel, vice president, autonomous systems, Northrop Grumman. “Combined with Northrop Grumman’s decades of autonomous systems experience, we seek to improve global maritime safety, security and domain awareness.”

Both companies are slated to participate in a series of demonstrations this year to show how autonomous systems monitor large oceans and littoral areas for extended periods of time. The autonomous systems will persistently collect maritime intelligence so manned aircraft can more efficiently be utilized for other specific mission sets.

“Northrop Grumman’s numerous unmanned capabilities provide a perfect fit to our maritime surveillance capabilities,” said William Terry, president, Maritime and Land Division, Ultra Electronics. “We know this long-term collaborative effort gives our customers an affordable, game changing capability.”

Source: Northrop Grumman