Raytheon has been awarded an $80.8 million contract modification from the U.S. Navy in support of a Foreign Military Sale of the AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar to the Royal Australian Navy. ALFS is the primary undersea warfare sensor for the U.S. Navy's MH-60R multimission helicopter. The contract represents the first international sale of Raytheon's advanced anti-submarine warfare sensor.

ALFS provides critical undersea warfare mission support capabilities, including submarine detection, tracking, localization, classification, acoustic intercept, underwater communication and environmental data collection.

This contract modification follows two previously awarded contracts, totaling $141.5 million, for ALFS systems, spares and repairs for U.S. Navy inventory. The first contract, awarded by Naval Air Systems Command, was valued at $81.7 million for the manufacture, integration, testing and delivery of ALFS systems for the U.S. Navy.

The second contract, from Defense Logistics Agency Aviation Strategic Acquisition, valued at $59.8 million, provided for spares and weapons replaceable assemblies for fleet-deployed systems, systems under test, and helicopter maintenance trainer assets.

"ALFS is a key tenet of our naval strategy, providing us a robust, rapid and far-reaching anti-submarine warfare capability," said U.S. Navy Captain Jim Glass, program manager for the MH-60 helicopter.

"Now with the sale to Australia, we are providing our airborne ASW sensor of choice to advance the capabilities of a valued, allied fleet."

The system's performance and capabilities continue to be proved during U.S. Navy undersea warfare exercises. Navy officials report on results, stating that the carrier strike groups consistently detect all exercise submarines during deployment.

ALFS is deployed as the primary anti-submarine warfare sensor onboard the MH-60R helicopter, charged with defending the surface ships before the submarines come within range to launch an attack.