BAE Systems to equip US Navy submarines with MMM systems

Above: Radio frequency antennas provide US Navy submarines with enhanced situational awareness to carry out missions.
Courtesy BAE Systems

The MMM system is a radio frequency receiving antenna that provides US Navy submarines the ability to detect, identify, and direction-find adversary communications signals before rising to the surface. The antennas will mount on new Virginia-class submarines and feed into Lockheed Martin’s AN/BLQ-10 electronic warfare (EW) system.

“In dynamic and contested environments, stealth is key, and submarines rely on accurate communications signal information to make decisions quickly,” said Michael Rottman, program area director for Maritime Sensors and Systems at BAE Systems. “The Multifunction Modular Mast system equips US Navy submarines with critical capabilities to locate and identify potential threats, enabling them to analyse and respond accordingly.” 

As network-centric naval warfare evolves, advanced sensors, data links, communications, and EW systems are needed to outpace threats. The MMM system plays a critical role in electromagnetic spectrum dominance and strategic situational awareness. It provides operators with a reliable secondary source to detect nearby adversaries, in addition to radar and sonar. 

The tactical communications receiving antenna resides in a composite radome. Its pressure-rated and corrosion-resistant design allows the unit to survive the harsh undersea environment and maximise signal-gathering performance while minimising visibility of the mast and platform. The system also includes a payload module that enables the US Navy to incorporate additional sensors for other mission applications.

For more than 65 years, BAE Systems has developed and manufactured a range of maritime and communications solutions, including antennas, acoustic transducers and sensors. Designed to withstand the depths of the ocean, these systems enable communication and remote sensing across the US submarine fleet.

Work on the MMM system is being conducted at BAE Systems’ New Hampshire facilities in Hudson, Merrimack and Nashua.