Sylmar Company Wins NATO Sonar Contract

L3Harris Technologies has won a contract to build two sonar systems for an undisclosed member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, at its ocean systems manufacturing plant in Sylmar. The defense industry contractor, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange, is headquartered in Melbourne, Fla. The contract requires L3Harris to build two low-frequency active towed sonar, or LFATS, systems for a military ally. Such systems are used on ships to detect and track submarines. L3Harris designs its systems to perform at a lower operating frequency, making them effective against quiet diesel-electric submarines as well as nuclear submarines. L3Harris said in a statement it was “a multi-million-dollar contract,” but didn’t disclose its exact value. Under terms of the contract, which was awarded by the Defense Department, the company will build and deliver the sonar systems over the next 26 months. President of Integrated Mission Systems Sean Stackley said in a statement the company’s sonar delivers “excellent detection, localization and tracking in a compact, light-weight package.” “This award represents our continued growth in the international naval market by providing our allies with a new, variable-depth sonar capability to enhance the anti-submarine warfare capabilities of their surface combatants,” he added.