KEYPORT, Wash. – U.S. Navy surface warfare experts needed echo-sounding depth-measurement systems for a variety of surface warships. They found their solution from SyQwest Inc. in Cranston, R.I.
Officials of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division in Keyport, Wash., announced a $9.1 million five-year contract to SyQwest last week for next-generation fathometers in support of the Navy's ships. These depth sounders are for ship safety and for gathering navigational data.
SyQwest will provide the AN/UQN-10 next-generation fathometer for Navy amphibious assault ships, aircraft carriers, and other surface warships. SyQwest joins Knudsen Systems Inc. (KSI) in Ogdensburg, N.Y., on AN/UQN-10 production. KSI has produced the system since at least 2016.
The SyQwest and KSI AN/UQN-10 next-generation fathometer is a replacement for the AN/UQN-4/4A sonar sounding set from EDO Corp. in New York. EDO has been acquired by L3Harris Technologies.
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The AN/UQN-10 next-generation fathometer is a digital navigation echo sounder with color display with touchscreen interface for control and real-time data display including internal data storage of echogram image data.
The echo sounder control software employs smart algorithms to enhance performance in extreme conditions. drop-in replacement the legacy UQN-4(4A) fathometer. The mil-spec echo sounder is for maritime vessel navigation and ranging.
The system uses downward-oriented sonar signals to determine the depth of water under the vessel's keel by bouncing off the bottom of the ocean directly underneath. Other users of the system include the U.S. Coast Guard and allied navies.
On this contract, SyQwest will do the work in Cranston, R.I., and should be finished by February 2029. For more information contact SyQwest online at www.syqwestinc.com/index.htm, KSI at http://knudsensystems.com, or the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division-Keyport at www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Warfare-Centers/NUWC-Keyport.
