U.S. Navy boosts Anti-Submarine Warfare Capabilities with New Digital Magnetic Anomaly Detection kits.

According to information published by Congressman Nick Langworthy on July 29, 2025, Lockheed Martin’s Owego facility in New York has been awarded a $18,828,520 contract by the U.S. Department of the Navy. The contract provides for the procurement of 25 Digital Magnetic Anomaly Detection (DMAD) hardware kits, alongside critical program management services for the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter. This new funding highlights the ongoing investment in advanced submarine detection capabilities to support the U.S. Navy’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) strategy.
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Since achieving full operational capability in 2010, the MH-60R has replaced the older SH-60B and SH-60F models. (Picture source: French MoD)

Lockheed Martin’s Owego site will oversee full integration, assembly, and quality assurance for the DMAD kits, with project completion scheduled by January 2027. These systems are expected to enhance the submarine-hunting capabilities of airborne ASW platforms. The DMAD kit is a lightweight, under 9 kilograms, including all cabling and mounting hardware, and is installed internally within the MH-60R’s tail cone. It works by detecting minute variations in the Earth’s magnetic field caused by metallic submarine hulls. The system then alerts the operators through an audio cue when a potential contact is detected, while its display unit provides positional and range data for real-time targeting.

The MH-60R Seahawk, developed by Sikorsky Aircraft and Lockheed Martin Systems, is the U.S. Navy’s primary anti-submarine and surface warfare rotorcraft. It is engineered for deployment from aviation-capable ships, allowing for high operational flexibility in maritime theaters. Since achieving full operational capability in 2010, the MH-60R has replaced the older SH-60B and SH-60F models, upgrading the U.S. fleets’ airborne capabilities. Its core missions include anti-submarine warfare (ASW), surface warfare (SUW), electronic warfare, command and control, and critical non-combat operations. Secondary roles include naval surface fire support, medevac, search and rescue, special warfare insertion, logistics, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The helicopter’s ability to quickly shift between mission profiles is enhanced by an array of integrated systems, including the AN/AQS-22 ALFS dipping sonar, advanced multi-mode radar, FLIR electro-optical sensors, and the newly adopted MAD-XR system for magnetic anomaly detection.

Powered by two General Electric T700-GE-401C or 401D turboshaft engines, the MH-60R measures approximately 19.76 meters in length and 5.18 meters in height, with a maximum gross weight of 10,659 kilograms. It typically operates with a crew of three, consisting of pilot, co-pilot, and tactical sensor operator, though it can be reconfigured to include additional personnel depending on mission needs. The US currently possesses around 270 MH-60R aircraft.

In early 2024, the U.S. Navy released new software and hardware to MH-60R operators to allow MH-60R aircraft to accept the digital MAD system. In September 2024, Sikorsky was awarded a contract to deliver 6 DMAD kits for evaluation. The delivery of the 25 new hardware kits is expected to be concluded by 2027.

The integration of the new Digital Magnetic Anomaly Detection (DMAD) hardware kits will significantly enhance the U.S. Navy’s airborne anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities. As submarine threats grow more sophisticated and stealth-driven, especially from near-peer adversaries like China with its fleet of 66 submarines, this technology provides a critical upgrade to the Navy’s sensor suite. For the U.S. Navy, the DMAD system represents a generational leap from legacy magnetic anomaly detection systems by offering increased detection sensitivity, lower false alarm rates, and full compatibility with modern open-architecture mission systems while it delivers a powerful new layer of situational awareness in layered ASW operations for the MH-60R platform.