Integrated Surveillance System

The Integrated Surveillance System program element (PE 0204311N) is a critical component of the U.S. Navy's undersea warfare capability, supporting research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) activities for a range of surveillance systems. The overarching goal of this program is to provide Theater Undersea Warfare (TUSW) commanders with persistent, flexible, and responsive wide-area surveillance to detect, classify, and track submarine threats, both nuclear and diesel, in support of national security and fleet operations. The program is managed under the Program Executive Office for Undersea Warfare Systems (PEO UWS), specifically through the Maritime Surveillance Systems (MSS) Program Office (PMS 485).

Deployable Surveillance Systems (DSS) are designed to complement the Navy's Fixed Surveillance System (FSS) and Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS). The DSS project focuses on rapidly deployable, wide-area surveillance capabilities to address emergent operational requirements and coverage gaps. The primary objectives for FY 2026 include continued development and prototyping of the Deep Water Active (DWA) system, refurbishment of engineering development model clusters, and developmental testing.

The DSS effort leverages ongoing research from the Navy, DARPA, and small businesses to advance sensor and processing technologies, with an emphasis on rapid fielding and spiral development to counter evolving submarine threats. Funding supports these RDT&E activities and procurement of prototype units.

IUSS Detect/Classif System encompasses the development and enhancement of the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS), which is the Navy's primary means of submarine detection. This project includes several key components: the Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System (SURTASS), Expeditionary SURTASS (SURTASS-E), and the Fixed Surveillance System (FSS, details classified). Objectives for FY 2026 focus on advancing the Integrated Common Processor (ICP) through technology insertions and software updates, improving Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) algorithms for enhanced detection and classification, and developing new hardware and software architectures for next-generation surveillance vessels.

Additional efforts include upgrades to the TL-29A twin-line arrays, product improvements for Compact Low Frequency Active (CLFA) systems, and the development of SURTASS Team Trainers for crew readiness.

The Integrated Common Processor (ICP) is a central element of the IUSS, providing the capability to process and display data from all fixed and mobile underwater systems. The ICP is undergoing continuous modernization to address hardware obsolescence, enhance cybersecurity, and incorporate advanced processing techniques such as AI/ML and beamforming. These improvements are delivered through a cyclical process of technology insertion and software builds, ensuring that the fleet maintains a technological edge in undersea surveillance and can adapt to new operational environments and threats.

Ship Plan Development and Design focused on the T-ARC(X) program, which aimed to develop a replacement for the Navy's only organic undersea cable laying and repair ship, USNS ZEUS (T-ARC 7). The primary mission of this ship is to deploy, repair, and retrieve undersea cables and equipment, supporting both surveillance and communications infrastructure. In FY 2026, funding for this line was zeroed out due to a strategic pause in acquisition planning and evolving Navy priorities, deferring further industry-led preliminary design work beyond the current budget cycle.

Congressional Adds provided targeted funding in FY 2024 for additional development and prototyping within the Deployable Surveillance Systems project. Funding was allocated for non-recurring engineering and prototype testing of the Deep Water Passive (DWP) system, supporting the advancement of a candidate for a potential future follow-on program. This funding enabled the completion of key engineering milestones and operational system development activities.