US approves sale to Australia of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Expeditionary.

According to information published by the US government on May 4, 2023, the State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Australia of Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System Expeditionary (SURTASS-E) mission systems for Vessels of Opportunity (VOO) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $207 million.
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Victorious-class oceanographic survey ship USNS Able with Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System. (Picture source: US DOD)

Lockheed Martin-Syracuse in Syracuse, NY, and Lockheed Martin-Manassas in Manassas, VA, are slated to be the main contractors for this potential agreement.

About the system

SURTASS (Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System) is a mobile, tactical element of the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS) that provides long-range detection, tracking, and reporting of submarine contacts.

It was developed in the early 1980s to provide long-range detection and cuing for tactical weapons platforms against both diesel and nuclear-powered submarines.

The system consists of a long array of hydrophones towed by a dedicated non-combatant ship designated T-AGOS, which provides the fleet with reliable and continuous maritime picture of their area of responsibility (AOR).

SURTASS provides ASW support to tactical forces as part of the Navy's land warfare support mission. It employs a passive surveillance system that uses several types of arrays as a passive receiver, and the low-frequency active (LFA) system is designed to detect even quieter threats in the future.

The system has undergone several upgrades, including the SURTASS Block Upgrade, which expands the capabilities of the passive-only sensor with advancements against quiet threats including improved sensitivity and signal processing, and the LFA system that includes a large source array for active transmissions and the array of the block upgrade as a separate receiver.