Oct 22 2010
The U.S. Navy has awarded a $45 million deal to Northrop Grumman for Phase 3 production of the AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS).
The contract includes product development, spares, four pods and support at reduced cost for each pod.
The ALMDS pod is mounted on top of an MH-60S helicopter and identifies mines by utilizing streak tube receivers and pulsed laser emissions by 3-D imaging the ocean’s surface while flying on top of the sea.
Northop Grumman has provided five pods till date. The U.S. Navy is executing the Developmental Flight Test-IIE program from the Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division facility in Florida. The ALMDS contract team comprise of Meggitt Defense Systems, producer of environmental control system; Wright/DY4, developer of the central electronics chassis; CPI Aero, producer of the pod housing; Cutting Edge Optronics, manufacturer of the laser transmitter; and Arete Associates, developer of the receiver sensor assembly.
Northrop Gumman’s VP of Maritime and Tactical Systems, Dan Chang stated that the DT-IIE results would prove the threat identification value and performance of the ALMDS.