SAIC contract to support torpedoes MK 54 - MK 48 - MK 46 for US Navy


The U.S. Navy awarded Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC) a prime contract worth approximately $60 million to continue to provide mission engineering support by testing heavyweight and lightweight torpedoes for the Naval Sea Systems Command. In support of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport, SAIC will handle testing and data collection for MK 48 Heavyweight Torpedoes, and MK 54 and MK 46 Lightweight torpedoes.
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SAIC contract to support for US Navy torpedoes MK54 MK 48 MK 46 925 001 An MK 54 exercise torpedo launches from the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) during Multi-Sail 2015. Multi-Sail is an annual Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 exercise. (Picture source U.S. Navy)


“For more than 13 years, SAIC has supported the testing of approximately 150 torpedoes as part of the engineering, technical, and management services we provide to the NUWC's Propulsion Test Facility in Newport, Rhode Island,” said Jim Scanlon, executive vice president and general manager of the Defense Systems Group. “We look forward to continuing to support NUWC with testing of torpedoes and torpedo components over the next five years.”

As part of the single-award contract, SAIC will prepare the test facility and test torpedoes, interface the test torpedo, execute the test, and collect and process test data. Additionally, SAIC will support preparing torpedoes for testing at off-site test ranges and locations. SAIC will also provide maintenance, upgrades, and operational support for test torpedo assembly and turnaround, system and subsystem testing, data reduction, test equipment operation, and data and configuration management.

The cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract has a one-year base period of performance with four option years.

The MK 48 heavyweight torpedo is used by all classes of submarines as their anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface warfare (ASuW) weapon. The MK 48 ADCAP torpedo is a heavyweight acoustic-homing torpedo with sophisticated sonar, all-digital guidance-and-control systems, digital fusing systems, and propulsion improvements. Its digital guidance system allows for repeated upgrades to counter evolving threats through software upgrades.

The MK 54 Lightweight Torpedo was previously known as the Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo (LHT). The MK 54 Mod 0 Lightweight Torpedo integrates existing torpedo hardware and software from the MK 46, MK 50 and MK 48 torpedo programs with state-of-the-art commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) digital signal-processing technology. It incorporates an advanced guidance and control (G&C) section employing COTS processing technologies and tactical software improvements to significantly increase shallow water counter-countermeasure capability at reduced lifecycle costs.

The MK 46 torpedo, first introduced in 1965, is a surface ship and aircraft-launched anti-submarine weapon. It is presently identified as the NATO standard and has been acquired by more than 25 countries. Various modifications, including improved acoustics, guidance and control upgrades, and countermeasure-detection capability have been introduced into the weapon. The current version of the MK 46 is the dual-speed, active or active/passive Mod 5A (S).