Momsen (DDG 92) recently spent a week at the Nanoose Bay torpedo testing range (officially the Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental Test Range in British Columbia) acting as the testing platform for a torpedo defensive system that is currently in the development stage.

Momsen’s sonar control operators worked closely with engineers from Naval Sea Systems Command, The Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), Ultra Electronics, Advanced Acoustic Concepts, 3 Phoenix, Chesapeake Sciences, and Argon ST conducting tests of the ship’s sonar and towed countermeasure systems.

The engineers on board tested their engineering development model which consisted of an active and passive towed array. They demonstrated its ability to classify, localize, and defeat a hostile incoming torpedo. To demonstrate this, Momsen ran a series of battle scenarios in which programmed mock torpedo test vehicles were launched at the ship, simulating an attack.

During a few of these runs, Momsen conducted evasive maneuvers with its SLQ-25C NIXIE streamed to verify the effectiveness of its torpedo countermeasure “softkill” capability. The tests were designed to test for weak spots in the ships anti-torpedo countermeasures.

The data collected during this week will be invaluable in the development of the Torpedo Warning System and countermeasure anti-torpedo “hardkill” capability for the surface fleet.