Navy

DARPA awards BAE contract in undersea sensor program

BAE Systems has been awarded a $4.6 million contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for work under its Mobile Offboard Clandestine Communications and Approach program. 

The MOCCA program seeks to allow submarines to detect other undersea vessels at greater distances without being detected. 

“The objective is to achieve significant standoff detection and tracking range through the use of an active sonar projector deployed offboard a submarine and onboard an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV),” DARPA’s notice stated. “The submarine will need the ability to coordinate the operational functions of the supporting UUV. Thus, the program must also demonstrate the ability to achieve reliable clandestine communications between the host submarine and supporting UUV without sacrificing submarine stealth.”