The U.S. Navy has awarded Erapsco, a joint venture of Ultra Electronics Holdings and Sparton Corporation, a $101,1 million contract for sonobuoy manufacturing.
A sonobuoy is a device used to detect and identify objects moving in the water. Sonobuoys are mostly used to detect submarines by either listening for the sounds produced by propellers and machinery (passive detection) or by bouncing a sonar “ping” off the surface of the submarine (active detection).
Multi-static techniques are also used for submarine detection and localization. Multi-static operations utilize separate active source and passive receiver sonobuoys. Sonobuoys are generally dropped from aircraft that are equipped with a means to launch them, and electronic equipment to receive and process data sent by the sonobuoy, although they can be deployed from any sea platform.
Erapsco will provide production subcontracts in the amount of $46.8 million and $54.3 million to Ultra Electronics USSI and Sparton DeLeon Springs, LLC respectively.
Production will take place at Ultra Electronics USSI’s Columbia City facility and Sparton’s DeLeon Springs facility and is expected to be completed by September 2017.