JSK completes first manufacturing contract for Royal Canadian Navy
The telephones are fitted in the Royal Canadian Navy’s Victoria Class submarines, which previously served as the UK Royal Navy’s Upholder Class.
They are part of Sonar 2073 which is fitted to all UK Royal Navy’s submarines and are used if a boat’s supply fails or is initially unavailable in the case of an emergency. The system is a combined Emergency Underwater Telephone (EUWT) and Submarine Locator Acoustic Beacon (SLAB) that enables survivors from a distressed submarine to indicate their position to searching forces by sound signals and helps them to establish and maintain voice communication with both surface and sub-surface units.
Normally, submarine communication links with divers or rescue craft operate off boats' 115V supply but battery packs are fitted adjacent to escape hatches as back-up if the supply fails. They can also assist sub-surface units in homing in to physical contact with a disabled submarine under conditions of very low visibility.
SEA has been the UK Royal Navy’s Design Authority for Sonar 2073 for some 15 years and has used its experience to transfer the technology to JSK, which won the competitive Victoria Class contract from Canada’s Public Works and Government Services organisation. The programme was completed at JSK’s headquarters in in Point-Claire, Quebec.
JSK VP Operations Neil Herbert explained: “This manufacturing contract builds on our established work as a support organization for the RCN and, through the transfer of IP and technology from SEA, underlined the strengths that SEA and Kaycom bring to JSK.
“We are also committed to further developing customer in-country manufacturing expertise and support that will enable JSK to provide valuable Canadian content value into the RCN’s programme for a new surface combatant.”
