Matthew Nelson
American Superconductor is slated to install magnetic field reducing technology into two U.S. Navy amphibious transport vessels, National Defense reported Thursday.
The company received sole-source contracts from the service branch to integrate the degaussing platforms into LPD-28 and LPD-30 naval vessels.
Designed to lower ships“™ magnetic signature, the same technology helped mitigate German minefield threats during World War II.
Daniel McGahn, chairman, president and CEO at AMSC, said the firm“™s degaussing systems utilizes ceramic components and superconductors to decrease vessels“™ weight by 10 to 100 tons compared to the alternative, copper wires.
“We“™re increasing performance at similar cost, but we“™re liberating an envelope of weight and volume to be used for other systems,“ said McGahn.
A Congressional Research Service report stated that the Navy plans to secure 20 guided-missile ships with an initial batch slated in fiscal year 2020.
