One of the development teams that are ran by Lockheed Martin has announced that it successfully completed a critical design review for a system that will enable the U.S. Navy submarines with real-time, two-way communications without the need of raising the platforms to a periscope depth. The review has given a green light to the team that will start manufacturing hardware and delivering design sheets by early 2011.

"The CSD program fills a major gap identified in the Undersea Dominance Roadmap," said Brent Starr, the Navy's CSD principal acquisition program manager. "Successfully completing this review is a key indicator that we have designed a robust family of systems."

We all know that submarines need to surface to a depth where the periscope is usable when there's need of communicating with other ships, aircrafts or a shore base, which is also what makes the otherwise-covert vessel vulnerable and detectable. The Communications at Speed and Depth (or short, CSD) can be installed on all classes of submarines, and will ensure them a better means of communicating while staying visually covert.

"The CSD systems will keep submarines connected to the Global Information Grid far beneath the water's surface, helping submariners remain safe and hidden from enemy radars," said Rod Reints, Lockheed Martin's senior program manager for CSD. "Submarines are most vulnerable when they must surface to use communication systems. This program eliminates that vulnerability.”


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