USA Upgrades Submarine Fleet Acoustics Under A-RCI Program

Acoustic Rapid Commercial-Off-The-Shelf Insertion (A-RCI) is a sonar system upgrade installed on the USA’s entire submarine fleet, including SSN-688 Los Angeles & SSN-688I Improved Los Angeles Class, SSN-21 Seawolf Class, SSN-744 Virginia Class, SSBN-726 Ohio Class nuclear missile boats, and the new SSGN Tactical Trident special ops and strike subs. This DID Spotlight on ARCI adds a bit more explanation of exactly what the program entails and where its benefits were focused, as well as covers contracts placed under the A-RCI program from FY 2005 onward. The program’s concept is simple: you can upgrade the system without changing the sensors. By sharply upgrading ship sensor processing, it integrates and improves the boat’s towed array, hull array and sphere array sonars, running more advanced algorithms and providing a fuller “picture” of the surrounding environment. Sometimes, it really is all about what you can do with it. A-RCI’s open architecture concept also make it easier to integrate additional sensors, providing a dual-track improvement option for American submarines. A-RCI: Specifics & Benefits Virginia Class Cutaway(click to view full: Large!) The Navy has designed the A-RCI upgrades to provide improved navigation in high-traffic areas and under ice, better detection and avoidance of mines, and […]