Photonics mast, electro-optical sensor suite for attack submarines to come from Kollmorgen

NORTHAMPTON, Mass., 30 Aug. 2009. The Kollmorgen Corp. Electro-Optical Division in Northampton, Mass., won a $7.4 million U.S. Navy contract modification Thursday to build electro-optical components and other submarine sensor systems, as well as eight universal modular masts (UMM) and one UMM interface box unit for the U.S. Navy's Virginia-class fast attack submarine.

The UMM submarine technology program produces a non-hull-penetrating mast that serves as a lifting mechanism for electro-optical sensor suites and four other submarine systems configurations (the photonics mast, the multi-function mast, the integrated electronic mast, the high-data-rate mast, and the photonics mast variant on the Virginia-class attack subs and Ohio-class cruise missile submarine. Each sensor is mounted on one UMM.

Twenty percent of the work will be in Northampton, Mass., 80 percent of the work will be in Bologna, Italy. Kollmorgen should finish the submarine mast work by March 2012.

Awarding the contract were officials of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington. For more information contact Kollmorgen Electro-Optical online at www.eo.kollmorgen.com.