LCS & MH-60S Mine Counter-Measures Continue Development

Reliability improvement efforts for the RMS snorkeling USV. (Dec 19/11)

The US Navy currently uses large CH-53/MH-53 helicopters and towed sleds to help with mine clearance work, but they hope to replace those old systems with something smaller and newer. The MH-60S helicopter’s Airborne Mine Counter-Measures (AMCM) system adds an operator’s station to the helicopter cabin, additional internal fuel stores, and towing capability, accompanied by a suite of carried systems that can be mixed and matched. AMCM is actually 5 different air, surface and sub-surface mine countermeasures systems, all deployed and integrated together in the helicopter.

While the US Navy develops AMCM, and complementary ship-launched systems for use on the new Littoral Combat Ships, new minehunter ship classes like the Ospreys are being retired by the US Navy and sold. All in an era where the threat of mines is arguably rising, along with tensions around key chokepoints like the Suez Canal and Strait of Hormuz.

This article explains the components involved (AQS-20, ALMDS, AMNS, OASIS, RAMICS; COBRA, RMS, SMCM), chronicles their progress through reports and contracts, and provides additional links for research…

• Airborne Mine Counter-Measures (AMCM): The Set [updated]
• Contracts & Key Events, 2000 – Present [updated]
• Additional Readings

Airborne Mine Counter-Measures (AMCM): The Set

The AMCM set includes:

AN/AQS-20 mine hunting sonar. The AN/AQS-20A uses sonar and electro-optical sensors to provide high-resolution images of mine-like objects and high-precision location information, and can operate in shallow or deep waters. The system is towed under water to scan the water in front and to the sides of the vehicle, as well as the sea bottom. This task is especially important in littoral and shallow-water zones, including critical global trade chokepoints like the Straits of Malacca, the Persian Gulf and Straits of Hormuz, the Suez Canal and Panama Canal regions, etc.

The AN/AQS-20’s modular design is being produced under spiral development, which means a continuous series of improvements are being applied and tested. The use of commercial off the shelf (COTS) components alongside proprietary technologies makes this process easier, and will improve the future upgrade process as electronics continue to advance.

Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (AES-1 ALMDS). ALMDS is a Light Detection and Ranging Airborne Mine Countermeasures high area coverage system that detects, classifieds, and localizes floating and near-surface moored sea mines using a blue-green laser. This gets around the inherent flight and drag limitations of towing bulky gear in the water, which allows faster area search. It also lets a helicopter image an entire ocean area and move on, without stopping to recover equipment. The ALMDS program is managed by the US Navy’s PMS-495: the Program Executive Office, Littoral and Mine Warfare, Mine Warfare Program Office.

In his position as U.S. Navy Program Executive Officer for littoral and mine warfare, Rear Admiral William E. Landay said that said in 2005 that ALMDS “represents the first new technology to be applied to mine [hunting] since the advent of sonar.” ALMDS uses pulsed laser light and streak tube receivers housed in an external equipment pod, which is mechanically attached to the MH-60S with a standard Bomb Rack Unit 14 (BRU-14) mount. Electrical connections use a primary and auxiliary umbilical cable to the MH-60S AMCM’s common operator console. Data is stored on a mass memory unit for post mission analysis. The ALMDS team includes Northrop Grumman Corporation at its Melbourne, FL site, and key suppliers:

• NGC subsidiary Cutting Edge Optronics (CEO) in St. Charles, MO (high-powered laser transmitter)
• Arete Associates in Tucson, AZ (Receiver Sensor Assembly)
• CPI Aero in Edgewood, NY (pod housing)
• Curtiss Wright/DY4 in San Diego, CA (central electronics chassis)
• Meggitt Defense Systems, Inc. in Irvine, CA (environmental control system).

As recently as March 31/10, ALMDS was cited by the US GAO as not yet meeting system performance requirements.

Airborne Mine Neutralization System (ASQ-235 AMNS). Based on BAE Systems’ Archerfish. It’s a small towed vehicle that acquires mines via sonar, then fires a shaped charge into them. Each AMNS system has 4 of them. It’s especially useful for bottom, close-tethered and in-volume sea mines, and the towed vehicle is designed to be expendable. Good for disposing of found mines at a safe distance, when this can’t be accomplished easily by other methods.

Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep (ALQ-220 OASIS). Long, thin, 10 foot long towed “fish” that can mimic the acoustic or magnetic signatures of a variety of US ships. If there are mines in the area programmed to detonate on that basis, it should set them off. Good for doing fast minesweeping.

OASIS is subdivided into 6 major components: the Towed Body, the Magnetic Influence Subsystem, the Acoustic Influence Subsystem, the Control/ Monitoring and Power Subsystem, the OASIS Software, and the Tow Cable/ Helicopter Interface. The towed body houses the magnetic and acoustic subsystems and mechanical assemblies. This in-water component is less than 930 pounds in weight, approximately 16 inches in diameter and 10 feet in length. Tension on the tow point is less than 6,000 pounds.

The system failed demonstration trials in 2008 due to excessive corrosion of its tow cable, linked to a nearby forward electrode that set up an unfortunate reaction in salt water. The electrode has now been repositioned on the towed body instead.

Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS). This weapon couples a gated electro-optic Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensor, and a 30mm MK44 Bushmaster II gun firing a MK 258 Mod 1 armor-piercing, fin-stabilized tracer round. When penetrating the water, the round “supercavitates” as the tip of the high velocity RAMICS projectile vaporizes the water to steam, allowing the shell to ride inside a bubble of gas. That lets it move through the water at very high velocity, and without changing course. Instead of the complete disintegration that usually happens to high-velocity rounds when they hit the water at mid-to-shallow angles.

The combination of sensors like ALMDS and a fast neutralizer like RAMICS would make shallow water mine clearing a pretty fast process, which is very useful when trying to perform tasks like re-opening a key port. Unfortunately, the system is not testing well, and development has been delayed. The Navy is considering cutting RAMICS entirely, and using AMNS for shallow mines as well.

Northrop Grumman’s RAMICS team includes ATK (gun and ammunition), plus Kaman Aerospace Electro-Optics Development Center in Tucson, AZ; DRS Sensors and Targeting Systems in Cypress, CA; CPI Aerostructures in Edgewood, NY; and Meggit Western Design in Irvine, CA.

AMCM Companions

These combined AMCM systems will offer more speed and agility in addressing a mine threat, and will be carried by US vessels including the new Littoral Combat Ships. In addition, fitting all 5 AMCM systems into a roll-on/roll-off mission kit for the MH-60S requires a couple of other elements:

The MH-60S Common Console The Common Console is common to all five AMCM systems as well as the other MH-60S missions and provides for control, monitor and display of the AMCM system. It has a single large display that shows multiple views for each sensor, and a smaller navigation display that matches the cockpit’s.

The MH-60S Carriage, Stream, Tow and Recovery System (CSTRS). Does what the title says. Has to be robust, in order to support a number of different systems. Goals included reducing crew size from 5 to 2, and allowing hands-off operation.

Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL). TCDL will provide a high-bandwidth, near-real time sensor data link with the ability to relay data to the mine warfare commander.

These combined systems are critical components of the new Littoral Combat Ship’s mine warfare mission module. The new ships will operate MH-60S helicopters, and can take on an MH-60S AMCM helicopter as part of the MIW mine warfare mission module. The AQS-20 sonar can also be attached to the AN/WLD-1 semi-submersible autonomous vehicle, which comes as part of the LCS ship’s swappable mission packages and has been installed in some DDG-51 destroyers as well.

Note that even though these mission packages are designed to work with Freedom or Independence class Littoral Combat Ships, AMCM’s components could be freely deployed on other ships, along with their carrying helicopter.

Some of the Littoral Combat Ship’s MCM systems will be paired with other platforms beyond the MH-60S. Adding a USV/UUV option helps provide more comprehensive shallow water coverage alongside AMCM, and puts deep water coverage within reach, without requiring purpose-built minesweeper ships, or placing large and expensive ships at risk.

Remote Minehunting System: Lockheed Martin’s AN/WLD-1 (RMMV) snorkeling USV was set to tow the AN/AQS-20 behind, while also using its own maneuvering power and sensors, in order to scan in front and to the sides for anti-shipping mines. A launch and retrieval system on the ship, and C2 software, completes the RMS. Unfortunately, a March 31/10 GAO report cited the RMMV snorkeling USV’s failure to meet performance requirements, and the RMS had its planned buy cut in December 2009. It would deploy only aboard Littoral Combat Ship classes, and only within the mine counter-measures module. By December 2011, the 1st of 3 reliability improvement phases had ended, and funding was in place to continue the RMMV RGP into 2013.

Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (SMCM UUV):
The SMCM UUV system is designed to reliably detect and identify undersea volume and bottom mines in high-clutter environments, and areas with potential for mine case burial. It will also gather environmental data for use by other MIW systems. This is similar to the idea behind the RMS, but the Navy would not clarify if its September 2011 contract that launched the program was an overlap, or a replacement.

The SMCM system will use Bluefin-21 UUVs, which were developed with US Navy funding and envisioned as having a role on LCS. The 16.5 foot, 21” diameter, 1,650 pound (5.02m/ 53.4cm/ 748.5kg) Bluefin-21 has a maximum depth of 4500m, with 25-hour endurance, and inertial navigation systems for precision positioning. It features MIT-spinoff Bluefin Robotics’ modular and flexible vehicle architecture, pressure-tolerant field-swappable subsea batteries, and low-noise propulsion technology. For this role, it will carry an advanced sonar payload developed by SMCM lead contractor General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. SMCM systems will include 2 Bluefin-21s with payload, launch and recovery equipment, a support container, spare parts, and support equipment.

Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis System (COBRA AN/DVS-1): This system scans beaches for buried mines. Its goal is actually broader than mine detection, and involves “accurate battlefield intelligence depicting tactical objectives, minefields, obstacles and fortifications on the beach and inland areas.”

COBRA is expected to be deployed using Northrop Grumman’s MQ-8B Fire Scout unamnned helicopters, but it remains to be seen whether that small platform will be adequate. If so, the Littoral Combat Ship is its natural platform. A larger MQ-8C is planned based on the Bell 407 helicopter.

Contracts & Key Events

Dec 19/11: RMS. Lockheed Martin announces the end of the 1st of 3 planned development and testing cycles, involving 500 hours of reliability testing on the U.S. Navy’s WLD-1 RMMV. These efforts are aimed at improving the RMS’ system reliability and operational availability. See also March 31/10 entry.

Dec 16/11: RMS. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Riviera Beach, FL receives a not-to-exceed $52.7 million cost-plus-incentive-fee letter contract for the RMMV Reliability Growth Program. The contract will fund a comprehensive development and test program to improve the mean time between operational mission failures, and prepare the system for LCS developmental tests and operational assessment. The RMMV RGP will use critical systems reviews and subsequent design reviews, predictive reliability tools, spiral development with in-water testing, and installation of RMMV reliability upgrades.

Work will be performed in Palm Beach, FL (91.4%); Syracuse, NY (8.4%); and Manassas, VA (0.2%), and is expected to be complete by December 2013. This contract was not competitively procured, and is being awarded as a sole source contract pursuant to 10 U.S.C 2304c1 by US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC (N00024-12-C-6316).

Nov 16/11: AMNS. Navy VX-21 successfully conducts the first complete Airborne Mine Neutralization System detect-to-engage sequence near Panama city, FL, demonstrating the system’s ability to fire an Archerfish destructor against an inert target. So far, 5 low-rate initial production systems have been delivered to the Navy, with the 6th system scheduled to be delivered in January 2012. US Navy | Raytheon.

Sept 30/11: SMCM UUV. General Dynamics Advanced Informational Systems Inc. in McLeansville, NC wins a $48.6 million contract with cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and firm-fixed-price line items for the engineering, manufacturing and development of the Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (SMCM UUV). This will be part of the Littoral Combat Ship’s MCM mission package, and this contract contains an option for up to 5 low rate initial production systems, which could bring its cumulative value to $86.7 million. The contract will be initially funded with $10.1 million, as FY 2011 expires.

On Nov 21/11, Bluefin Robotics announces the subcontract from General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems for the Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (SMCM UUV), and details the system: 2 of its large Bluefin-21 UUVs, launch and recovery equipment, a support container, spare parts and support equipment, and an advanced sonar payload developed by GD-AIS.

Work will be performed in McLeansville, NC (38%), Quincy, MA (27%), Braintree, MA (16%), Houston, TX (10%), Reston, VA (5%), State College, PA (3%), and Fairfax, VA (1%), and is expected to be complete by March 2016. The addition of Quincy, MA suggests that Bluefin Robotics was already part of the solution in September 2011. $237,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitive procured via the FBO.gov website, with 4 offers received by the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City Beach, FL (N61331-11-C-0017).

Sept 2/11: AMNS. Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Portsmouth, RI receives an $8.8 million contract modification to fabricate, assemble, test and deliver 5 Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) low rate initial production systems.

Work will be performed in Portsmouth, RI, and is expected to be complete in August 2013. US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington DC manages this contract (N00024-10-C-6307).

June 16/11: RMS. The US Navy Program Executive Office for Littoral and Mine Warfare (PEO LMW) announces the successful first time launch and recovery of the WLD-1 Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV) semi-submerged USV from USS Independence [LCS 2], while underway near Panama, FL. The vehicle went through 5 successful cycles of deployment, towed operations and recovery, while also testing things like vehicle stability in the wake zone and remote operation.

In active use, the RMMV will tow the AN/AQS 24A sonar, and the entire Remote Minehunting System is scheduled for further testing in summer 2011 as part of the LCS MIW mine warfare module’s core AMCM system. The effectiveness of LCS rear launch and recovery systems has been a concern for both class designs, so the test was useful from that perspective as well. US NAVSEA.

March 4/11: COBRA. Small business qualifier Arete Associates in Tucson, AZ receives a $26.4 million firm-fixed-price letter contract for 3 AN/DVS-1 Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) low rate initial production Block 1 systems, which will become part of the Mine Warfare Mission Package on board the littoral combat ship. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ, and is expected to be completed by March 2013.

This contract was not competitively procured by the US Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City Beach, FL. It’s actually a continuation of earlier Small Business Innovative Research awards. As a result of SBIR Phase III, the delivered COBRA systems are expected to have the software that satisfies the performance requirements, with mine counter measure, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, and tactical littoral sensor modes installed (N61331-11-C-0007).

Jan 24/11: RAMICS. Gannett’s Navy Times reports that the RAMICS supercavitating 30mm cannon for killing shallow mines may be on the Navy’s chopping block, after performing poorly in testing. It would be replaced by the AMNS system, which would do double duty against both shallow and deep water mines using its Archerfish kill vehicle.

The tradeoff would be one of greater performance certainty, cost certainty, timely delivery, and commonalty on one side; vs. the ability to engage far more shallow water mines in less time by using a RAMICS system that worked.

Dec 10/10: RMS. Lockheed Martin Corp. in Riviera Beach, FL receives a $20 million cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order for engineering services to support reliability improvements to the Remote Minehunting System. Work will include engineering services, testing, program management and configuration management. See Aug 31/10 entry to understand why this work is necessary.

Work will be performed in Riviera Beach, FL (90%), and Syracuse, NY (10%), and is expected to be complete by September 2011. $3.3 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/11. US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC manages this contract (N00024-10-G-6306, #­­0003).

Dec 2/10: RAMICS. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Melbourne, FL receives a $9.5 million modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-02-C-6324) for continued RAMICS post-delivery technical support. This contract will be used to maintain, modify and/or repair delivered hardware and software; modify or build new RAMICS system components to resolve producibility, obsolescence, and end-of-life issues, and update the technical data package with the changes; and provide a range of engineering services ad studies.

Work will be performed in Melbourne, FL and is expected to be complete by September 2011. The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL manages this contract.

Nov 3/10: AMCM. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors in Owego, NY a $14.7 million delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) testing and systems development. That means it covers the AMCM system set as a whole.

Work will be performed in Owego, NY, and is expected to be complete in December 2011. $1.6 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/11. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N00019-09-G-0005).

Oct 13/10: COBRA The Navy successfully conducts the 1st flight test of the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) Block I system at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ, on board the MQ-8B Fire Scout vertical take-off unmanned aerial vehicle. The tests were successful.

The AN/DVS-1 COBRA system is designed to detect minefields and obstacles to prepare for amphibious assaults in the beach zone and inland areas. The COBRA Block I system will enter low-rate initial production under a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III contract, with the first production unit scheduled for delivery to the fleet in FY 2012. US Navy.

Sept 23/10: AMNS. Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Portsmouth, RI receives a $14.7 million firm-fixed-price contract (N00024-10-C-6302) for 7 low rate initial production Airborne Mine Neutralization Systems, and associated engineering services. This contract includes an option which would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $24.4 million if it’s exercised.

Work will be performed in Portsmouth, RI, and is expected to be complete by September 2014. AMNS provider has already been picked, so this contract was not competitively awarded by US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC. Raytheon release

Aug 31/10: The US GAO report #GAO-10-523 on the LCS program sees problems with the mission modules, AMCM among them. “Defense Acquisitions: Navy’s Ability to Overcome Challenges Facing the Littoral Combat Ship Will Determine Eventual Capabilities.” Key excerpts and conclusions, by system:

AN/AQS-20A Sonar – est, fielding 2011: “Operational testing has been delayed, however, due to decertification of the system following integration problems with the common tow cable that connects it to the MH-60S helicopter”.

Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) – est, fielding 2011: “The mount that connects the system to the MH-60S carriage, stream, tow, and recovery system is being redesigned following loss of a test unit”.

Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis System (COBRA) – est, fielding 2012: “System has demonstrated capability to detect buried mines on the beach when flown from the MH-53 helicopter, but has yet to be integrated with its host platform, the MQ-8B Vertical Take-off and Landing Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle”.

OASIS – est. fielding 2012: “Engineering development model experienced excessive corrosion at its interface point with the common tow cable during testing from an MH-53E helicopter. The Navy has implemented a design solution, and new models are in production”.

Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) with Unmanned Surface Sweep System – est. fielding 2012. “Micro-turbine-powered magnetic towed cable and acoustical signal generator towed from an unmanned surface craft; Development status: Prototypes of the unmanned surface vehicle have experienced connectivity and communication issues at distance, reliability issues with their electrical generators, and software malfunctions. Additionally, the Navy is redesigning the cable planned to tow the unmanned surface sweep system due to durability concerns…. remains in early development”.

ALMDS laser mine detection – est. fielding 2011: “Testing of this system has revealed problems detecting mines at the required maximum depth and classifying mines at surface depths. According to Navy officials, the system’s required maximum detection depth could be reduced because the system can currently detect mine-like objects at depths that extend below the keels of all ships in the fleet. According to Director, Operational Test and Evaluation officials, however, the system is currently incapable of providing this capability with the required accuracy. Further, Navy officials report that the Remote Minehunting System could provide coverage in near-surface areas of the water that the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System currently cannot reach.”

RMS/WLD-1 est. fielding 2015: “The Navy abandoned initial operational test and evaluation of this system in June 2007 following reliability issues – both software and hardware related – affecting the underwater vehicle. Subsequent plans for resuming this testing in September 2008 were deferred because of continuing concerns about the reliability of the underwater vehicle, and the scheduled test was downgraded to an operational assessment. Spurred by cost growth facing the system, the Office of the Secretary of Defense recently completed a review of the program, subsequently deciding to allow the system to continue development. The Navy is currently executing a reliability growth plan for the system”.

”....Most notably, the system was only able to function for 7.9 hours before failing [in 2008 tests] – far short of its minimum requirement…. since the 2008 event, the Navy’s estimated mean time between failures for the system has increased to 45 hours. According to Navy officials, testing and design changes are expected to last into 2011. While the Navy is actively exploring ways to improve Remote Minehunting System reliability, it is also considering reducing the reliability requirement by half.

”....For [RMS and ALMDS] the Navy has delayed further production pending successful resolution of developmental challenges…. According to Navy officials, relaxing the performance requirements for the Remote Minehunting System and the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System is one option under consideration.”

RAMICS gun – est. fielding 2017: “Separate engineering development models of the gun and targeting pod have been tested with mixed results. Gun testing demonstrated the need to redesign the bushing (shock absorber). Targeting pod testing revealed problems reacquiring minelike objects and maintaining a gun lock on them. The Navy is rewriting software to address the targeting pod issues”.

June 30/10: ALMDS. Northrop Grumman announces that they have begun the next phase of ALMDS’ US Navy flight testing. The Navy is conducting the Developmental Flight Test-IIE (DT-IIE) program from its Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, FL, and the 1st flight of about 40 or so occurred on June 8/10. A technical evaluation will follow and will lead to the full-scale Operational Evaluation in late 2011. Good performance could lead to full-rate production; meanwhile, an LRIP Lot 3 contract is expected later in 2010. Northrop Grumman Maritime and Tactical Systems VP Dan Chang:

“We’ve had four flights to date [under DT-IIE] and, though I can’t go into details, the feedback we’ve gotten is that the system is performing well and reliably…. The flight test data have allowed us to make a few minor software adjustments that have sharpened the capabilities of the system.”

June 24/10: ALMDS. Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems’ Battle Management and Engagement Systems Division in Melbourne, FL received a $9.5 million contract modification for continued ALMDS post-delivery technical support (PDTS) and provisioned item order support. This modification raises the contract ceiling, and extends the PDTS period of performance for ALMDS low-rate initial production units. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Fla., and is expected to be complete by December 2010.

Northrop Grumman’s work may include: systems engineering; tracking performance metrics; modifying/ repairing delivered hardware; modifying or building ALMDS components to fix producibility, obsolescence, and end-of-life issues; keeping ALMDS’ technical data package up to date; maintaining delivered hardware and software; quality assurance; manufacturing; test and evaluation; and the paperwork of presentations, white papers, and trade studies. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division in Panama City, FL issued the contract (N61331-05-C-0049).

April 1/10: The Pentagon releases its April 2010 Selected Acquisitions Report, covering major program changes up to December 2009. One of the changes is to the Remote Minehunting System (WLD-1) in the AMCM suite:

“The PAUC increased 79.5% and the APUC increased 54.6% to the current and original [baselines] as a result of a reduction in production quantities, the use of an incorrect average unit cost as a basis of estimate in the 2006 program baseline calculation, and an increase in development costs needed to address reliability issues. The Navy re-evaluated the capabilities of the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Mission Package for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and decided to eliminate the Remote Multi-Mission Vehicle (RMMV) from the ASW Mission Package. This decision reduced the total number of RMMV production units from the program baseline quantity of 108 to the current quantity of 54. The increase in development costs was needed to address reliability problems, which arose during an operational assessment in 2008.”

This level of overage is a critical breach, a.k.a. a Nunn-McCrdy breach. The legislation forces the Pentagon to certify the program’s fitness to continue, and provides for potential Congressional involvement.

March 31/10: The US GAO releases its 2010 Assessment of Selected Weapon Programs, including the Littoral Combat Ships mission modules. With respect to the AMCM systems, it says:

“Overall, operation of the MCM, SUW, and ASW packages requires a total of 22 critical technologies, including 11 sensors, 6 vehicles, and 5 weapons…. The Navy has accepted delivery of two partially capable MCM mission packages; however, the program has delayed the procurement of the fiscal year 2009-funded package due to technical issues and the resulting operational test delays. Four MCM systems – the Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), Unmanned Sweep System (USS), Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep (OASIS), and Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS) – have not yet been demonstrated in a realistic environment, and two others – the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) and Remote Minehunting System (RMS) – cannot meet system requirements. ALMDS has been unable to meet its mine detection requirements at its maximum depth or its mine detection and classification requirements at surface depths. RMS demonstrated poor system reliability, availability, and maintainability in a September 2008 operational assessment, and program officials report the system is currently undergoing a series of tests to try to improve its reliability. Program officials also reported that the cable used to tow certain airborne MCM systems had to be redesigned following test failures with two systems.”

March 11/10: ALMDS. The 3rd and final low-rate initial production Lot 2 ALMDS pod is delivered to and accepted the US Navy. The company delivered the LRIP Lot 2 pods approximately 3 weeks ahead of schedule, on average. The company and the Navy are in the final stages of preparing the LRIP Lot 3 production contract. NGC release.

Feb 22/10: US Naval Air Warfare Center, Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) in Orlando, FL announces that it intends to negotiate, on a sole-source basis under FAR 6.302-1, a contract with CAE USA, Inc. for 3 MH-60R Tactical Operational Flight Trainers (TOFT), and 1 MH-60R/S Tactical Operational Flight Trainer (TOFT). The MH-60R/S TOFT consists of 3 trainers: the MH-60R/S Operational Flight Trainer (OFT), the MH-60R Weapons Tactics Trainer (WTT) and the MH-60S Weapons Tactics Trainer (WTT).

The MH-60S WTT as delivered will have the capability to train, from basics to tactical missions, the AN/AQS-20A Mine Hunting Sonar, the AN/AQS-235 Airborne Mine Neutralizer System (AMNS), the AN/ALQ-220 Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep (OASIS), and the AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) – but not the RAMICS gun system, yet. FBO Presolicitation N61339-10-R-0016.

Jan 11/10: ALMDS. Northrop Grumman announces delivery of the 1st LRIP Lot 2 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) to the US Navy, more than 6 weeks ahead of schedule.

Dec 18/09: Gannett’s Navy Times reports that Remote Mine-hunting System WLD-1/ AN/AQS-20 sonar combination would rise 85.3% from its original estimate and cost about $22.4 million per copy, while the RMMV/WLD-1 by itself could rise by 52% to $12.7 million per copy.

The main instigator for the cost spikes is the Navy’s decision to halve production from 108 to 54 units, by deleting the RMS from the Littoral Combat Ship’s anti-submarine package, and confining it to the mine warfare module. The Navy has also decided not to deploy the RMS combination from DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Class destroyers, and confine the set to its Littoral Combat Ships.

The second issue with cost increases involves reported reliability issues with the WLD-1. The USV reportedly met 8 of 9 major goals, and the Navy is currently looking into the data to review resolution options and progress.

Sept 23/09: COBRA. Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Eastern Region in Melbourne, FL receives a $6.1 million contract modification to provide post delivery technical support of the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis system’s Engineering & Manufacturing Development units. Work will be performed in Melbourne, FL, and is expected to be complete by September 2010. The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL manages this contract (N61331-01-C-0037). FBO solicitation.

Sept 2/09: AQS-20 & AMNS. Raytheon announces that it has delivered the AN/AQS-20A Minehunting Sonar and AN/ASQ-235 Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) to the U.S. Navy. Both of the low rate initial production models of the AN/AQS-20A and AN/ASQ-235 AMNS will be extensively tested. Under the current contracts, Raytheon will deliver a total of 20 AN/AQS-20A systems by January 2011, and 5 AMNS by December 2009.

AMNS re-acquires and neutralizes mines found by AN/AQS-20A, using a launch and handling sled equipped with 4 unmanned Archerfish kill vehicles. Both systems have been integrated into the MH-60S and the MH-53E airborne mine countermeasures helicopters. The AN/AQS-20A has also been operated from the AN/WLD-1 Remote Minehunting System USV.

April 23/09: Lockheed Martin Systems Integration – Oswego in Oswego, NY received a $5.6 million cost plus fixed fee, firm fixed price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for engineering and technical support in the integration of Organic Airborne Mine Countermeasures (OAMCM) Systems into a MH-60S helicopter. The 5 OAMCM systems to be incorporated in the MH-60S are the AN/AQS-20A Advanced Sonar System; Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS); Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS); Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS); and Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep (OASIS). This acquisition supports the fundamental effort of integrating this entire suite of Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) systems with the helicopter structurally and with the helicopter Command, Control, Communication, Computer and Intelligence (C4I) systems.

Work will be performed in Oswego, NY (50%) and Panama City, FL (50%), and is expected to be complete by April 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL (N61331-09-D-0009).

April 15/09: AMNS, OASIS. ITT Corp. announces a maximum $49.5 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity makes the company the US Navy’s designated depot and engineering agent for airborne mine countermeasure systems, including the MK-105 Magnetic Minesweeping System hydrofoil towed by the MH-53E, the in-service Airborne Mine Neutralizer System (AMNS), and other airborne mine countermeasure systems, including the ITT-produced Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep System (OASIS). ITT is also developing interactive technical manuals and training.

The IDIQ award is a “follow on” contract to a previous $25.2 million maintenance and support deal ITT had with NSWC. The MK-105 systems are currently operational in Corpus Christi, TX; 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain; and Norfolk, VA; other contract work will be performed at ITT Electronic Systems’ Under Sea Systems division’s Mine Defense Systems business area in Panama City, FL. Panama city News Herald.

March 11/09: RAMICS. Northrop Grumman touts the results of a recent RAMICS test,which featured a gun suspended from a 50-story tower. The goal was to locate and fire 8 rounds at a submerged target, and expected just 1 hit. Instead, it got 7 hits within a tightly grouped pattern. The test took place at the Lake Glendora test range within the Navy Surface Warfare Center in Crane, IN.

Feb 2/09: CSTRS. Concurrent Technology Corp. in Johnstown, PA received an $11.5 million indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity contract with a cost plus fixed fee pricing arrangement to provide technical and engineering services for continued Carriage, Stream, Tow, and Recovery System (CSTRS) development, test, and analysis. This procurement is in support of the ongoing development and test of the CSTRS to incorporate Airborne Mine Countermeasures capabilities and will be utilized on the MH-60S helicopter.

Work will be performed in Johnstown, PA (88%) and Panama City, FL (12%), and is expected to complete by February 2012. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL (N61331-09-D-0004).

Oct 24/08: CSTRS. Atlas Elektronik UK Ltd. in Newport Great Britain received a $12.9 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for services and materials for the development and fabrication of tow cables to support organic airborne mine countermeasures systems.

Work will be performed at Atlas’ facility in Great Britain, and is expected to be completed by October 2013. This contract was not competitively procured by the US Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City, L (N61331-08-D-0037).

April 28/08: AQS-20. Inside Defense reports that the US has halted its OpEval (operational evaluation, realistic tests) of the MH-60S AMCM mine-countermeasures helicopter. A discussion with NAVAIR reveals that the problem is with one specific system, and OpEval is continuing with the rest of the AMCM package in its current state.

The problem is related to the AQS-20 towing sonar. The sonar works fine, but the mechanisms that deploy it out the side of the helicopter are encountering reliability issues. A team of engineers has been formed to look into the problem. Once they report back, the US Navy will have a better idea of the time and effort required to deliver a fix. AQS-20 OpEval will be rescheduled at a later date, once the Navy is confident that a fix is well underway.

March 20/08: RAMICS. Northrop Grumman Integrated System Sector in Melbourne, FL received a $13.5 million modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-02-C-6324) for cost growth and new requirements related to development of the Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS).

Work will be performed in Melbourne, FL, and is expected to be complete by September 2009. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City, FL manages the contract.

March 19/08: Raytheon announces a $7.7 million U.S. Navy contract for the low rate initial production of 3 AMNS AN/ASQ-235 systems, following a successful “Milestone C” review in which the system’s design was validated by the Navy and approved to advance to low rate initial production.

March 6/08: ALMDS. Northrop Grumman Integrated System Sector in Melbourne, FL receives a $24.9 million modification to previously awarded contract (N61331-05-C-0049) for a second Low Rate Initial Production lot of 3 ALMDS units. Northrop Grumman says that 2 of LRIP Lot 1’s units have already been delivered, and are in operational testing but available to the fleet. The software has been finalized, with a depth performance 50% beyond specified Key Performance Parameters, and a 60% reduction in post-mission-analysis time.

Work will be performed in Melbourne, FL, and is expected to be complete by January 2010. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City, FL manages the contract, and NGC expects to produce 25 units over 5 years, once the program enters full rate production for the US Navy in 2010. See also Northrop Grumman release.

March 5/08: AMNS. BAE Systems Electronics’ Underwater Systems Division in Hampshire, UK receives a $9.9 million modification to a previously awarded contract for common neutralizers (their Archerfish system), related support equipment, and engineering services to support the AMNS and the Expendable Mine Neutralization System.

Work will be performed in Hampshire, Great Britain, (77%); Rocket Center, WVA (2%); Littleton, MA (7%); Cedex, France (3%); Chelmsford, Essex, England (3%); Thurso, Caithness, England (2%); and Carlton Gardes, England (6%), and is expected to be complete by December 2009. Contract funds in the amount of $353,255 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The US Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division in Panama City, FL manages this contract (N61331-08-C-0012).

Feb 15/08: AMNS. Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Portsmouth, RI received a $7.7 million modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-03-C-6310) for 3 Low Rate Initial Production units of the Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS).

Work will be performed in Portsmouth, RI (56%); Waterlooville, United Kingdom (23%); Claremont, NH (11%); Windber, PA (5%); West Wareham, MA (3%); Biddford, ME (1%), and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (1%) and is expected to be complete by November 2010. US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington Navy Yard, DC manages the contract.

Oct 12/07: The US GAO audit office has some news re: the mine warfare module, the LCS’ first mission module. It seems some changes will be required:

”...For example, operation of mine countermeasures systems is currently expected to exceed the personnel allowances of the [Littoral Combat] ship, which could affect the ship’s ability to execute this mission. In addition, the Littoral Combat Ship will have only limited capability to conduct corrective maintenance aboard. However, because the Navy recently reduced the numbers of certain mission systems from two to one per ship, operational availability for these systems may decrease below current projections. Moreover, the mine countermeasures mission package currently exceeds its weight limitation, which may require the Navy to accept a reduction in speed and endurance capabilities planned for the Littoral Combat Ship. It is important that the Navy assess these uncertainties and determine whether it can produce the needed mine countermeasures capabilities from the assets it is likely to have and the concepts of operation it can likely execute.”

Sept 7/07: AQS-20. A $51.3 million modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-6324) to exercise an option for 9 Low Rate Initial Production AN/AQS-20A Sonar Mine Detecting Systems, 7 Installation Kit Electronic Equipment Kits, and 2 Remote Minehunting System (RMS) Towed Body Modification Kits. The order brings the total contract value to $191 million, and increases the total number of systems ordered to 20.

Work will be performed by Raytheon IDS’ Maritime Mission Center in Portsmouth, RI (88%), and by Arete Associates in Tucson, AZ (12%), and is expected to be complete by March 2010. As of Raytheon’s Nov 28/07 release, The AQS-20 system is undergoing technical evaluation as part of the Navy’s mine countermeasure operational testing – the final stage before official fleet deployment.

July 23/07: AQS-20. The Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) a $23.2 million contract to provide AN/AQS-20A mine hunting sonar engineering services and support. AN/AQS-20A engineering and support services will be performed at Raytheon IDS’ Maritime Mission Center, Portsmouth, RI. This award exercises an option on an existing 2005 contract, bringing the total contract value to $139 million.

IDS’ engineering services and support will advance the design, development and production of the system’s acoustic and optical sensors through the implementation of pre-planned product improvements and whole life services and support. To date, the company has delivered 10 AN/AQS-20A systems to the Navy, with 4 systems currently undergoing technical evaluation as part of the Navy’s mine countermeasure operational testing – the final stage before official deployment to the fleet. IDS is under contract to deliver an additional 11 systems within the next 24 months. Raytheon release.

Jan 29/07: ALMDS. Northrop Grumman issues a release highlighting their delivery of the first ALMDS pod to the US Navy.

May 16/06: Old & New, includes OASIS. EDO Corp. Mine and Undersea Vehicles Department in Panama City, FL received a $25.2 million cost plus fixed fee/ firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery /indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for depot-level repair and maintenance of airborne mine countermeasures systems. These include existing systems like the MH-53 airborne mine neutralization system SEAFOX and console and MK-105 magnetic minesweeping sled, the precision navigation system, and the new Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep system.

Work will be performed in Panama City, FL, and is expected to be complete by May 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $1 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL (N61331-06-D-0019)

April 3/06: AQS-20. Raytheon Co. Integrated Defense Systems in Portsmouth, RI received a not-to-exceed $38.7 million firm-fixed-price/ cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-6324) for Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) of 5 AN/AQS-20A sonar mine detecting systems and associated engineering services around test and delivery.

Work will be performed in Portsmouth, RI (88%) and Tucson, AZ (12%), and is expected to be completed by March 2010. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C issued the contract. See Raytheon’s press release as well.

Jan 4/06: Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in Stratford, CT received a ceiling $25 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-quantity/ indefinite-delivery contract for highly specialized engineering and design efforts associated with continued integration of organic airborne mine countermeasures systems with full-production level MH-60S helicopters.

Work will be performed in Stratford, CT (60%) and Panama City, FL (40%), and is expected to be complete by January 2011. The contract was not competitively procured by the US Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL (N61331-06-D-0012).

Dec 27/05: Lockheed Martin Systems Integration – Owego in Owego, NY received a $16.4 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-05-C-0048) for non-recurring engineering services in support of the MH-60S Airborne Mine Countermeasures Common Console Technology Insertion Effort.

Work will be performed in Owego, NY, and is expected to be complete in June 2008. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract.

Dec 8/05: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, CT received a $33.6 million not-to-exceed modification to definitize a previously issued delivery order against basic ordering agreement N00019-03-G-0003, and to provide additional funding for the MH-60S Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) Block 2B Phase II Test Support and System Development effort.

The overall delivery order from the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD now has a not-to-exceed value of $60.6 million. Work will be performed in Stratford, CT and is expected to be complete in December 2009.

Oct 26/05: Lockheed Martin Systems Integration-Oswego in Oswego, NY receives a $76.6 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract in support of Phase II of the MH-60S’ Airborne Mine Countermeasures System’s (AMCM) Development and Demonstration process.

Work will be performed in Oswego, NY, and is expected to be complete in March 2010. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD (N00019-05-C-0048).

Sept 28/05: COBRA. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. Integrated Systems Sector in Melbourne, FL received a $25.3 million cost-plus-incentive-fee modification under previously awarded contract, exercising an option to develop Block 1, Spiral B of the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) system.

Work will be performed in Melbourne, FL and is expected to be completed by June 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWC PC) in Panama City, FL issued the contract (N61331-01-C-0037).

Sept 15/05: AQS-20. Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Portsmouth, RI received an undefinitized firm-fixed-price/ cost-plus fixed-fee letter contract at a not-to-exceed price of $55 million for the Low Rate Initial Production of the AN/AQS-20A Sonar, Mine Detecting Set. Work on the contract will be performed at Raytheon IDS’s Naval Integration Center in Portsmouth, RI (88%) and Arete Associates in Tucson, AZ (12%); and is expected to be complete by March 2010. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC issued the contract (N00024-05-C-6324).

Sept 7/05: ALMDS. Northrop Grumman Airborne Ground Surveillance and Battle Management Systems in Melbourne, FL receives a $124.5 million firm-fixed-price/ incentives letter contract for 3 Low-Rate Initial Production units of the AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS), which
has been designated as a fast track Navy SBIR/STTR R&D program.

The initial contract awarded a total of $45.5 million for a low-rate initial production (LRIP) of 3 AN/AES-1 ALMDS pods. The contract calls for options totaling $79 million for an additional 6 LRIP pods, one full-rate production lot of 6 pods, plus 2 training systems and integrated logistics support.

Work will be performed in at Northrop Grumman’s Airborne Ground Surveillance & Battle Management Systems facility in Melbourne, FL (75%), and in Tucson, AZ (25%), and is expected to be complete by February 2010. Melbourne is the home of two additional Navy mine-countermeasures programs and a U.S. Army counter-mine/reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition program. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL (N61331-05-C-0049)

Jan 12/05: Lockheed Martin Systems Integration-Owego in Owego, NY received a not-to-exceed $26.3 million cost-plus-incentive-fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-03-G-0014) for engineering services in support of Airborne Mine Countermeasures Block 2B system development for the MH-60S helicopter. Work will be performed in Owego, NY, and is expected to be completed in December 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.

Jan 30/03: AMNS. Raytheon Co. in Portsmouth, RI receives an estimated $18.1 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for the demonstration and development of the MH-60S AMCM Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS). Its system is the AN/ASQ-235 based on BAE’s Archerfish, while Lockheed Martin’s Atlas Seafox-derived system is used by the CH-53E.

Work will be performed in Portsmouth, RI (63%), and Waterlooville Hampshire, United Kingdom (37%), and is expected to be complete by September 2006. The contract was competitively procured and advertised via Commerce Business Daily, with 4 offers received by US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC (N00024-03-C-6310). See also Raytheon release.

Aug 23/02: RAMICS. Northrop Grumman Integrated System Sector in Melbourne, FL received an estimated $36.9 million cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the demonstration and development of the Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS).

Work will be performed in Melbourne, FL, and is expected to be complete by August 2005. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured and posted on Navy Electronic Commerce Online, with 2 offers received by US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) in Washington, DC (N00024-02-C-6324).

June 25/02: CSTRS. Concurrent Technologies Corp. in Johnstown, PA receives a $7.3 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-01-C-0045) for the development, design, engineering, manufacturing and testing of the Navy’s airborne mine countermeasures carriage, stream, tow, and recovery system for the MH-60S.

Work will be performed in Johnstown (75%) and Panama City, FL (25%), and is to be complete by July 2003. Contract funds in the amount of $5.3 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured by US Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD.

April 26/02: OASIS. EDO Marine and Aircraft Systems in North Amityville, NY receives a $25 million cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-fee contract for system development and demonstration of the Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep (OASIS). This effort encompasses all analysis, systems engineering, design, development, fabrication, assembly, testing, qualification, operator and maintenance training documentation, planning and management required to support this effort, as well as all materials, software and services necessary to ensure successful demonstration for production.

Work will be performed in North Amityville, NY (71%); Chesapeake, VA (18%); California, MD (4%); Cogent-Wales, United Kingdom (4%); Bohemia, NY (2%) and Carderock, MD (1%), and is to be complete by October 2005. This contract was competitively procured and advertised via the Internet, but had just 1 offer received by US Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC (N00024-02-C-6316).

2002: Developmental and operational testing of the AN/AQS-20A and AMNS begins.

Aug 16/01: COBRA. Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Integrated Systems Sector (ISS) receives the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) contract from the U.S. Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Center-Dahlgren Division, to develop an airborne mine detection system for the U.S. Marine Corps, building on the 1990s-era COBRA Advanced Technology Demonstration program. The total contract award could be valued at more than $44.7 million, if all options are exercised.

This COBRA system will involve a multispectral payload flown on a tactical UAV, and the firm says that its design will use complementary technology to Northrop Grumman’s Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS). Its goal is slightly broader than mines, and involves “accurate battlefield intelligence depicting tactical objectives, minefields, obstacles and fortifications on the beach and inland areas.”

Northrop Grumman’s release says that its COBRA team also includes:

• Arete Associates in Niceville, Fla.
• Science & Engineering Associates in San Diego, CA
• Wescam in Healdsburg, CA
• General Dynamics-Advanced Technology Systems in Greensboro, NC.
• PAR Government Systems, San Diego, CA
• L3 Communications in Salt Lake City, UT

Aug 31/2000: AQS-20. Raytheon Electron Systems Naval & Maritime Systems in Portsmouth, RI receives an $11.8 million firm-fixed-price letter contract for 2 AN/AQS-20 towed bodies, “which is a high speed acoustic mine hunting system towed from the MH-53E helicopter. It is designed to detect, localize, and classify bottom, close-tethered, and volume mines.”

This contract contains 2 options, which if exercised, would bring the total cumulative value of this contract to a ceiling of $48.2 million. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, RI, and is expected to be complete by February 2003. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Coastal Systems Station, Dahlgren Division in Panama City, FL (N61331-00-D-0044).

July 12/2000: AMNS. Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems (NE&SS) in Syracuse, NY anounces that its Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) has passed several program milestones. The program succeeded in 20 out of 20 at-sea at-sea shallow water test runs near Panama City, FL; passed a significant weapons-safety milestone; and transferred the first AMNS system to the Navy. All remaining AMNS equipment is scheduled for delivery by mid-July to support the Navy’s technical evaluation, which starts later this summer at Panama City.

NE&SS-Undersea Systems is delivering two complete AMNS systems and multiple neutralization vehicles under a $10 million fixed-price agreement with the Navy’s Airborne Mine Defense Program Office (PMS210). STN ATLAS Electronik of Bremen, Germany provides the neutralization vehicles and the operator control consoles, which are based on its very successful one-shot mine neutralization system, the SEAFOX. Lockheed Martin’s NE&SS-Undersea Systems business in Riviera Beach, FL, and Technical Systems Integration of Chesapeake, VA, also have key program roles.

The system initially will be deployed on the Navy’s MH-53E SeaDragon helicopter with production starting in 2001. The current program also includes a technology transition study for the adaptation of AMNS to the CH-60S helicopter (which later became the MH-60S).... but it is not selected.

Additional Readings

• DID FOCUS – MH-60R/S: The USA’s New Naval Workhorse Helicopters

• DID – The USA’s New Littoral Combat Ships.

• DC Military (April 19/01) – MH-60S fitted for airborne mine countermeasures. Good overview of each system.

• AMCM: Heliborne Mine Countermeasures. An enthusiast site, but a very good one which details each system above on its own page. The related pages to other US MCM systems assist with context and perspective.

• Arete Associates – Advanced Sea Mine Electro-Optic (EO) Detection and Identification Systems (includes diagrams). They’re a program participant.

• Northrop Grumman – Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS)

• Raytheon – AN/ASQ-235 Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) brochure [PDF]. BAE Systems’ Archerfish is the associated neutralizer vehicle. Note that FBO solicitations refer to the “AN/AQS-235”, while Raytheon refers to the ASQ-235.

• Atlas Elektronik – Unmanned Underwater Vehicles und Hydrographic Services. Includes their Seafox ROV, from which Lockheed Martin’s AMNS for the MH-53E is derived. This is NOT the same AMNS fielded by Raytheon, the AN/AQS-235, which will serve on the MH-60S helicopter.

• Concurrent Technologies corp. – Carriage, Stream, Tow, and Recovery System (CSTRS)

• ITT Electronics Systems – OASIS (Organic Airborne and Surface Influence Sweep) AN/ALQ-220 brochure [PDF]

• Jane’s Uderwater Warfare Systems – AN/ALQ-220 (OASIS) (United States), Mine warfare – Mine clearance systems

• Northrop Grumman – Rapid Airborne Mine Clearance System (RAMICS)

• Northrop Grumman (March 11/09) – Northrop Grumman-Navy Team Exceeds Expectations During Mine-Clearing Weapon Test

• US Navy League, Sea Power Magazine (August 2005) – New Mine Countermeasure System Designs Are Hitting the Water

• NDIA’s National Defense magazine (January 2004) – Navy Upgrading Sea-Mine Sweeper Helicopters. “The U.S. Navy intends to deploy the first MH-60S Knighthawk helicopters equipped with organic airborne mine countermeasures with carrier battle groups in 2005.”. This means with AQS-20A and ALMDS; they were a bit late.

• US Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Expeditionary Warfare Division (N75) – U.S. Naval Mine Warfare Plan, Fourth Edition. See also their Mine Warfare mini-site.

• US Naval Institute, Proceedings Magazine (May 2003) – Mine Countermeasures a Success covers successful mine countermeasures operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.