Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems Inc., Braintree, Massachusetts, is awarded a $186,411,242 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract for the AN/SLQ-25E ‘NIXIE’ electro-acoustic towed torpedo countermeasure system. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $268,514,278. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (U.S. Navy) $2,200,000 funding will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the U.S. Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, Washington, is the contracting activity.
The AN/SLQ-25 Nixie and its variants are towed torpedo decoys used on US and allied warships. It consists of a towed decoy device (TB-14A) and a shipboard signal generator. The decoy emits signals to draw a torpedo away from its intended target. The Nixie attempts to defeat a torpedo’s passive sonar by emitting simulated ship noise, such as propeller and engine noise, which is more attractive than the ship to the torpedo’s sensors. Typically, larger ships may have two Nixie systems mounted on the rear of the ship to allow operation singularly or in pairs while smaller ships may have only one system. Typically, larger ships may have two Nixie systems mounted on the rear of the ship to allow operation singularly or in pairs while smaller ships may have only one system.
