SAIC Secures $80 Million Contract to Supply MK 48 Torpedo Test Sets for US Navy
Defense News ,U.S :- Science Applications International Corp (SAIC), headquartered in Virginia, has been awarded an $80-million contract to provide MK 48 torpedo test sets for the US Navy. The five-year project entails designing, completing, and delivering MK 710 Torpedo System Test Sets (TSTS) crucial for validating the capabilities of Mk 48 heavyweight weapons in sub-surface operations.
SAIC emphasized the significance of the MK 710 TSTS in delivering high-quality torpedoes to the navy's submarine force. Data collected from testing these sets will play a crucial role in tactics development, training, and future upgrade certifications for the US Department of Defense.
Barbara Supplee, SAIC's Navy Business Group Executive Vice President, expressed enthusiasm about expanding the company's support to the Navy's heavyweight torpedo program. The contract reflects the trust and confidence the Navy has in SAIC and its expertise in heavyweight torpedo systems.
This contract follows a similar one awarded to SAIC in April 2023 to support the US Navy's MK 48 torpedo development, valued at $102.5 million. The earlier contract involved the fabrication, trials, and shipment of MK 48 Mod 7 afterbody tail cones, as well as war shot fuel tanks for the MK 29 Mod 0 acoustic torpedoes.
In 2021, SAIC secured a $1.1-billion contract to produce, assemble, and deliver MK 48s and MK 29s to the US Navy, emphasizing the company's continued involvement in enhancing the Navy's torpedo capabilities.
The MK 48 torpedo, designed for submarine-launched warfare, has undergone multiple iterations since its conceptualization in the late 1950s. The latest upgrade, the Mod 7, boasts a diameter of 21 inches, weighs 3,744 pounds, and is propelled by a liquid propellant. Capable of reaching speeds exceeding 30 knots, the MK 48 is specifically engineered to neutralize nuclear-powered submarines and advanced surface ships, solidifying its critical role in naval defense.
