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AN/PSS-14 at work

In late December 2005, DID noted that the USA has spent $1 billion on humanitarian land-mine removal over the last 10 years. A year ago, on August 16, 2005, we noted a $38 million contract to CyTerra for its AN/PSS-14 (formerly HSTAMIDS) Mine Detection Sets. Someone must have liked them, because L-3 recently announced that its March 2006 acquisition CyTerra has received a 10-year, $300 million contract for over 17,000 more sets as well as Sweep Monitoring Systems for training, Training Target Sets, and worldwide training and support. The value of the first order is approximately $24 million. The US Army and Marines currently have about 2,000 delivered sets in their possession. See corporate release.

Cyterra is an excellent example of the small-mid cap dynamic in the US defense sector generally.

The AN/PSS-14 employs a state-of-the-art metal detector and ground penetrating radar (GPR), coupled with an advanced microprocessor array and software in order to achieve a high probability of detection (in excess of 95%) for both large and small metallic and even nonmetallic antitank and antipersonnel mines. They’ve even been used to find underground pipes in civilian applications. It also significantly reduces the number of false targets or alarms. The apparatus weighs approximately eight pounds, uses standard batteries and can be operated by a single Soldier. See this U.S. Army page re: all countermine equipment in current use.