Nielsen Engineering & Research (NEAR) was recently awarded a Navy SBIR Phase II contract to develop an innovative and cost effective flex-hose system for use on USN submarines deploying the Mk 48 torpedo.  The flex-hose system will allow for postlaunch communication with torpedoes fired from submarines operating 1) at high speeds, 2) in the littoral environment, 3) in close proximity to the sea floor, or 4) near the surface.  The system will keep the communication wire from fouling the submarine's propeller and control surfaces during all phases of torpedo deployment including the wire clearance maneuver, transition, steady-state tow, and postlaunch maneuvers.  During the course of the contract, NEAR will use a combination of numerical analysis, sea trial tests, wind tunnel experiments, and fitment tests with actual submarine hardware to develop, evaluate, and refine the flex-hose system.