Airborne acoustic detection

Ultra is the world leader at designing and supplying advanced and legacy sonobuoys, the highly sensitive sensors that are deployed from maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters. Ultra supplies more than half of the Western world's sonobuoys. Through USSI (and its part ownership of Sonobuoy TechSystems), Sonar Systems and Maritime Systems, Ultra offers a full range of active, passive and multistatic sonobuoys to the world's markets. Sonobuoy telemetry receivers from Flightline Systems are fitted to the world’s latest rotary and fixed wing maritime patrol aircraft, including the US Navy’s P-8A and the MH-60R aircraft, the UK’s Nimrod MR2 and MRA4 aircraft and Merlin helicopters, the European NH-90 programme and the Canadian MHP. Through a teaming arrangement, Ultra supplies the AQS 970 acoustic processor for maritime patrol aircraft. This system is fitted in the new UK Nimrod MRA4. These three areas of expertise – sonobuoys, sonobuoy receivers and acoustic processors – allow Ultra to offer a unique ‘sensor to display’ airborne acoustic detection capability to maximise overall system performance in the detection of submarines. USSI has developed and demonstrated autonomous surveillance systems that are rapidly deployable for threat detection and identification in harbour entrances or critical shipping lanes. Ultra’s expertise in data fusion and in-buoy processing is being used to develop long-life multi-sensor tactical surveillance systems. Flightline Systems also supplies a range of gyroscopes, cockpit displays and engine management systems used in fixed wing aircraft and helicopters, both military and civil.