US Navy to order 18 000 AN/SSQ-125A sonobuoys.

According to information published by the U.S. Department of Defense on November 30, 2021, ERAPSCO, Columbia City, Indiana (P00012); and Lockheed Martin Corp., Manassas, Virginia (P00016), are awarded firm-fixed-price modifications for the production and delivery of up to 18,000 AN/SSQ-125A series production sonobuoys for the Navy.
Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link

Sonobuoy of Ultra (Picture source: Ultra)

The estimated aggregate ceiling for all modifications is not to exceed $222,266,700, with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders.

ERAPSCO will perform work in De Leon Springs, Florida (70 %); Columbia City, Indiana (30%); while Lockheed Martin will perform work in Manassas, Virginia (95%); and Clearwater, Florida (5%), and is expected to be completed in March 2024.

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

The AN-SSQ/125 Sonobuoys are used by the U.S. Navy for anti-submarine warfare operations. AN/SSQ-125 is air launchable from fixed or rotary-wing aircraft. It is also easily deployable from the deck of a surface vessel.

A sonobuoy (a portmanteau of sonar and buoy) is a relatively small buoy - typically 13 cm (5 in) diameter and 91 cm (3 ft) long - expendable sonar system that is dropped/ejected from aircraft or ships conducting anti-submarine warfare or underwater acoustic research.