Resolving critical weight and space issues for the US Navy Minesweeper fleet (Avenger-class)

Background:

The US Navy's Avenger Class Mine Countermeasure Ships (MCM-1) have had a critical space and weight issue. The Navy approached Thales Communications to develop a solution for a state-of-the-art High Frequency (HF) communications system that would improve performance over their legacy systems, while also reducing weight and minimizing space requirements. Additionally, the new upgrade, as always, needed to comply with stringent naval requirements on environmental, vibration, and heavyweight shock.

Solution:

Thales is currently under a 5-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (through 2009) contract to modernize communications aboard the U.S. Navy’s Avenger-class (MCM-1) Minesweepers with the Thales AN/URC-143, single-rack HF system. The AN/URC-143 HF radio suite is a state-of-the-art system specifically suited to small-to-medium ship applications requiring newest generation, automated, HF waveforms and remote control applications. The radio system is a 2-channel 500 watt transmit, 6-channel receive system supporting Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) to MIL-STD-188-141B. Specifically designed for the most demanding applications, the system meets all requirements on environmentals, vibration, and heavyweight shock to MIL-STD-901D. Replacing a legacy system of two half racks and two full racks with a single, AN/URC-143 rack of equipment, Thales Communications has resolved the critical space and weight issue.

Since many Minesweepers are forward deployed and have operational commitments, Thales typically delivers/installs 2 to 3 systems per year.