L-3 Klein to Provide Side Scan Sonar for Royal Canadian Navy

L-3 Klein Associates, Inc. has received a $4.3 million award from MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA) of Canada to supply four of its S5900 side scan sonar systems and accessories for the Royal Canadian Navy’s Route Survey System Life Extension (RSSLE) Program.
 
The RSSLE Program will provide required updates for certain subsystems of Canada’s Integrated Survey and Inspection System (ISIS), operated in the Kingston-class Maritime Coastal Defense Vessels (MCDVs). The S5900, together with other updates, will provide the Canadian Armed Forces with extended in-service life-cycle support through the end of the planned operational life of the MCDV fleet (projected to at least 2025). The system will also provide improved seabed obstacle detection capability and a reduced risk of obstacle collision and tow body grounding during operations.
 
“We are extremely pleased by the award of this contract, as the Royal Canadian Navy’s mine countermeasures capabilities are respected worldwide,” said John Cotumaccio, president of L-3 Klein. “The selection of the S5900 side scan sonar by Canada, following on the heels of a contract from the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office for seven S5900 systems, solidly establishes the Klein S5900 as the COTS system of choice for mine-like object detection and classification, both domestically and internationally.”
 
Route survey is an essential component of Canada’s overarching naval mine countermeasures capability. As an additional benefit, the operational capabilities of the Route Survey System (RSS) make it ideal to provide underwater maritime domain awareness in support of other Canadian defense requirements.
 
The Klein S5900 is a commercial off-the-shelf multi-beam side scan sonar with sensors and capabilities that are ideally suited to mine-like object detection. The sonar provides high-speed, high-resolution imaging for sea bottom mapping in detection and classification modes. The addition of Klein’s gap filler sonar on the S5900 tow body provides coverage in the sonar nadir region, thus enabling single-pass, 100% bottom coverage that reduces survey times by 40-60%. The high background-to-shadow contrast ratio of the S5900 enhances bottom features and target definition, while motion compensation in the advanced beam-forming technologies nullifies blurring caused by tow body motion.
 
www.L-3com.com/Klein