Introduction

BAE Systems has announced that it has won a $36 million production contract from Lockheed Martin for the supply of Multifunction Modular Mast (MMM) systems to be integrated on United States Navy submarines.

About MMM System

The MMM system is made up of a radio frequency receiving antenna which allows the United States Navy submarines to detect, identify, and orient adversary communication signals before surfacing.

The antennas will be installed on the new nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN) Virginia-Class and will power the electronic warfare (EW) system AN/BLQ-10 from Lockheed Martin.

Statement from Michael Rottman

According to Michael Rottman, the program area director for maritime sensors and systems at BAE Systems, the MMM system provides the Navy’s SSNs with essential capabilities to locate and identify potential threats, allowing them to analyze and respond accordingly.

In fact, the MMM system plays a fundamental role in the domain of the electromagnetic spectrum and in strategic situation awareness and provides operators with a secondary reliable source to detect adversaries nearby, in addition to the data primarily obtained from radar and sonar.

Design of Antenna

The tactical communications receiving antenna is housed in a composite material radome. Its pressure and corrosion-resistant design allows the unit to withstand challenging submarine environmental conditions and maximize signal collection performance, minimizing the visibility of the mast and platform.

The Multifunction Modular Mast system also includes a payload module that allows the United States Navy to integrate additional sensors for other mission applications.

Source and image credit @BAE Systems