SAIC has received a $102.5 million contract to continue supporting the US Navy’s MK 48 Mod 7 Heavyweight Torpedo program.
The award builds on a $1.1 billion torpedo production contract awarded to the company in 2021.
Under the agreement, SAIC will develop, trial, and supply MK 48 Mod 7 Torpedo Afterbody Tailcones and MK29 Mod 0 Warshot Fuel Tanks for foreign military sales.
The company currently provides related resources, facilities, and management for production, testing, and delivery for the torpedo’s components.
“SAIC has a long history of supporting the U.S. Navy, notably our work providing the dominant undersea weapons it requires,” SAIC Defense and Civilian President Bob Genter stated.
“We are honored by the Navy’s confidence in SAIC, and proud to expand our support of the MK 48 program.”
The MK 48 Torpedo
The MK 48 torpedo is designed for deployment against surface and sub-surface threats operating in deep and shallow waters.
The warhead was designed in the late 1960s, while its latest Mod 7 configuration achieved initial operational capability in 2006.
Each MK 48 weighs 3,744 pounds (1,700 kilograms) with a diameter of 21 inches (53 centimeters).
It is powered by a liquid-propellant engine and uses acoustic-homing sonar to engage targets at more than 50 knots (63 kilometers/58 miles per hour).