NEWTOWN, Conn. - On May 20, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced the U.S. State Department's approval of a potential foreign military sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of 14 Telephonics APS-153 Multi-Mode radars. If ordered, the radars will be procured for the purpose of installation on board 10 Sikorsky MH-60R "Romeo" Seahawk naval helicopters, with two units for spares and two for testing purposes.
The APS-153 radar is specifically designed for the maritime helicopter anti-ship, anti-submarine, and search-and-surveillance roles. It is an upgrade over the older APS-147 that it replaced in U.S. service, adding an integrated Mode 5 IFF unit and an Automatic Radar Periscope Detection and Discrimination (ARPDD) feature.
To date, along with its primary user the United States Navy, the APS-153 has been procured by the Royal Australian Navy and the Danish Navy. Procurement by Saudi Arabia would greatly enhance the kingdom's maritime control capabilities, giving the navy an up-to-the-moment radar for its ship-based helicopters.
Based on past U.S. Navy procurement costs, the upgrade of the APS-147 to the APS-153 configuration costs an average of $2.1 million and a new-build unit has estimated value of around $2.65 million. Given the new-build unit value, a Saudi Arabian procurement is expected to bring at least $37.1 million in contracts to Telephonics in the near-term. Over a longer period, Telephonics could gain significantly more income through LRU replacements and general support contracts.
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