Northrop Grumman to integrate sonar system onto L3Harris UUV.

Northrop Grumman Corporation’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.

The Northrop Grumman µSAS mounted on a L3Harris UUV (Picture source: Northrop Grumman)

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, California by the U.S. Navy. The integration of synthetic aperture sonar on a small diameter UUV is a significant step forward in small class vehicle capability.

“The Northrop Grumman µSAS advanced imaging sonar is a minehunting force multiplier designed specifically for UUVs,” said Alan Lytle, vice president, undersea systems, 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, unmanned maritime systems, L3Harris.

Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 90,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.

The Northrop Grumman µSAS (Picture source: Northrop Grumman)