- Bringing up US-Australian sonar systems follows some Anonymous comments on Russian MGK sonar systems. There seems to be no rigorous way of comparing US and Russian sonar claims.
Virginias, Collins and future Shortfins are relatively large submarines with large, higher power, bow sonars to detect targets at a longer distance.
Sonar arrays aboard Virginia-class submarines have an "Open System Architecture" (OSA) which enables rapid insertion of new hardware and software as they become available. Hardware upgrades (dubbed Technology Insertions) are usually carried out every four years, while software updates (dubbed Advanced Processor Builds) are carried out every two years. Virginia-class submarines feature several types of sonar arrays.[55]
- BQQ-10 bow-mounted spherical active/passive sonar array[55][56] (Large Aperture Bow (LAB) sonar array from SSN-784 onwards)
- A wide aperture lightweight fiber optic sonar array, consisting of three flat panels mounted low along either side of the hull[57]
- Two high frequency active sonars mounted in the sail and bow. The chin-mounted (below the bow) and sail-mounted high frequency sonars supplement the (spherical/LAB) main sonar array, enabling safer operations in coastal waters, enhancing under-ice navigation, and improving anti-submarine warfare performance.[58][59]
- Low-Cost Conformal Array (LCCA) high frequency sonar, mounted on both sides of the submarine's sail. Provides coverage above and behind the submarine.[60]
Virginia-class submarines are also equipped with a low frequency towed sonar array and a high frequency towed sonar array.[61]
- TB-16 or TB-34 fat line tactical towed sonar array[62][63]
- TB-29 or TB-33 thin line long-range search towed sonar array[62][63]
Presumably the Collins benefits from the same hardware/software update system? The Collins (see right sidebar) utilises a: "Thomson Sintra Scylla bow and distributed sonar arrays, Thales SHORT-TAS towed sonar array and Thales intercept array".
Pete