U.S. Navy Procures Towed Torpedo Decoys for $186.4M

The U.S. Navy has placed an order for AN/SLQ-25 Nixie towed torpedo decoys used on U.S. and allied warships.

“Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems Inc., Braintree, Massachusetts, is awarded a $186.4 million contract for the AN/SLQ-25E ‘NIXIE’ electro-acoustic towed torpedo countermeasure system,” a U.S. DoD release said today.

This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $268.5 million.

Work is expected to be completed by December 2026.

The NIXIE systems are part of the Surface Ship Torpedo Defense (SSTD) program, which aimed to provide independent torpedo protection to aircraft carriers. The AN/SLQ-25 Nixie and its variants consist 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.