Navy Contract for Ocean Sensors
Falmouth Scientific, Inc. (FSI) has received an US$3.6 million, multi-year contract for supply of conductivity, temperature, depth (CTD) sensors from the U.S. Navy’s Naval Underwater Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport (RI, USA). The DT-705 sensors are installed on submarines to monitor the surrounding environment.
Ocean conductivity, temperature, and depth measurements provided by the sensor are also used to calculate sound velocity, salinity, and density for use in weapons targeting and submarine buoyancy determination. FSI has supplied over 150 DT-705 CTD sensors to the Navy under previous contracts. Sensors supplied under the new contract will be used to instrument Los Angeles Class submarines as well as the newer Virginia Class submarines.
FSI DT-705 CTD sensors incorporate a patented NXIC (non-external inductive conductivity) sensor design, which is not affected by proximity of external objects around the sensor. This represents an advance over earlier inductive conductivity sensors, whose conductivity readings could be affected by nearby objects. The NXIC sensor also provides robust operation and highly stable readings. The DT-705 CTD sensor is a shock-hardened design which survived extensive shock tests required for rating as Class A Naval equipment meeting Critical Item Product Specification and environmental requirements.
Falmouth Scientific is a leading manufacturer of precision oceanographic instrumentation and specialty systems including current meters, CTDs, wave gauges, acoustic systems, AUV’s, specialty transducers and other sensors.
