ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Northrop Grumman Corp.’s µSAS (pronounced “micro-sas”) will be integrated onto L3Harris Technologies’ Iver4 Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) for a 12-month test period for the Defense Innovation Unit’s (DIU) Next-Generation Small-Class UUV program, according to a Northrop Grumman release.
The µSAS is a Low-SWaP (size, weight and power), high-performance interferometric synthetic aperture sonar that enables longer sorties and higher area coverage rates for UUV missions.
Integrated onto a 9-inch diameter, 99-inch long, 200-pound UUV, the installation will occur at L3Harris’ Fall River, Massachusetts, facility and the system will be tested in San Diego by the U.S. Navy. The integration of synthetic aperture sonar on a small diameter UUV is a significant step in small-class vehicle capability.
“The Northrop Grumman µSAS advanced imaging sonar is a mine-hunting force multiplier designed specifically for UUVs,” said Alan Lytle, vice president of undersea systems at Northrop Grumman. “This integration will help to deliver a significant increase in the platform’s ability to detect objects on the seafloor and in the water column.”
“The Iver4, integrated with µSAS, is a major advancement in small-class UUV capability for the warfighter,” said Daryl Slocum, president and general manager of unmanned maritime systems for L3Harris.
