The U.S. State Department approved the sale to the Netherlands of 106 kits to convert Mk 46 torpedoes to Mk 54 for an estimated cost of $169 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a release.
The proposed sale also includes containers, Recoverable Exercise Torpedoes with containers; Fleet Exercise Section (FES) and fuel tanks; air launch accessories for rotary wing aircraft; ground handling equipment; spare parts; training; test equipment; engineering, technical, and other program support, the Tuesday, July 31 release said.
“This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO Ally,” DSCA said.
The principal contractor will be Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems.
The Mark 54 Lightweight Hybrid Torpedo is a standard anti-submarine warfare torpedo developed by Raytheon and introduced in 2004. It combines the homing section of the Mk 50, and the warhead and propulsion of the Mk 46 improved for better performance in littoral waters.
The Mk 54 torpedo can be deployed from surface ships, helicopters or fixed wing aircraft and can track, classify and attack underwater targets. It uses sophisticated processing algorithms to distinguish false targets and countermeasures, from identified threats.
