CSU-90 SUBMARINE SONAR SALES LIKELY TO BE IN LINE WITH TYPE 209, 212, AND 214 SUBMARINE PROCUREMENT
NEWTOWN, Conn. -- Used worldwide on several classes of diesel-electric submarines, sales of the CSU-90 integrated submarine-mounted sonar system are likely to parallel those of its main platforms -- particularly the Type 209, Type 212, and Type 214 submarines. Each of these submarine classes can be expected to be sold at a rate of two to four boats per year over the next several years.
CSU-90 sonar production projections are based upon the commissioning dates of known CSU-90 platforms, plus the addition of those platforms for which the CSU-90 is the dominant contender.
In the future, perhaps a decade or so from now, the CSU-90 will probably be replaced by more advanced developments in the family, much as the CSU-90 displaced the CSU-83. Such developments could include new types of conformal arrays and provisions for the operation and control of unmanned vehicles. It is probable that the design of the platform submarines is undergoing a major change, and the CSU-series sonar will have to reflect that if it is to remain viable.