The US Navy has awarded a $10 million contract to American electronics manufacturer SyQwest to produce TR-343 sonar transducers for the Navy Submarine Acoustic Systems Program Office.
The TR-343 transducer is part of a warships’ hull-mounted sonar array subsystem and a component of the AN/SQQ-89(V) acoustic sonar weapons system. It helps search, detect, classify, localize, and attack submarine targets.
The component also produces mechanical motion in the water, generating the sonar signals necessary to locate underwater hazards and map the seafloor.
According to a report by Military Aerospace, the TR-343 is integrated into computer-controlled AN/SQS-53 surface ship sonar, providing precise information for anti-submarine warfare weapons control and guidance.
“A sonar transducer converts electronic energy to acoustical pulses and vice versa. The type of transducer used is a major determining factor in the performance of the sonar system,” SyQwest explained on its website.
The electronics company said that its TR-343 sonar transducer has a frequency range of 3.5kHz to 200 kHz and is unequaled for its transmission power, sensitivity, and beamwidth.