Airborne Laser Mine Detection Systems from Northrop Grumman ordered by Japanese maritime agency

Feb. 7, 2012

Melbourne, FL and Tokyo, Japan--Northrop Grumman sold four Airborne Laser Mine Detection Systems (ALMDSs) to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Gail Overton

An illustrative view shows the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force MCH-101 helicopter equipped with Northrop Grumman's Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS).

Melbourne, FL and Tokyo, Japan--Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has made its first direct commercial sale of four of its Airborne Laser Mine Detection Systems (ALMDSs) to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to help protect its coastline and the daily maritime traffic coming in and out of Japan's ports. "ALMDS will enable the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force to cover significant distances at the speed of flight using its MCH-101 aircraft. This technology dramatically compresses the time between mine detection and neutralization," said Donna Carson-Jelley, ALMDS program manager for the U.S. Navy. "ALMDS keeps mine countermeasures ahead of the threats."

The laser-based mine detection system uses streak-tube imaging light detection and ranging (LIDAR) to detect, classify, and localize near-surface moored sea mines. With high-area-coverage-rate capability, the system transmits a fan-shaped beam of laser light to establish its swath width, and then relies on the forward motion of the helicopter to sweep the light over the water in a "push broom" manner. Four cameras are arranged to cover the same swath illuminated by the laser fan beam. As images are received by the system, an automatic target recognition algorithm picks out potential mine-like objects and stores their images for classification by shipboard Fleet operators, using computer-aided post-mission analysis tools.

"The addition of ALMDS to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force mine countermeasures suite of solutions provides them with significantly enhanced mine detection capability—first developed for the United States Navy," said Pat McMahon, sector VP and GM, Military Aircraft Systems of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "The installation of this capability will also improve the exchange of information between the U.S. Navy and JMSDF during allied operations."

Northrop Grumman is working closely with its industry partners Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Fujitsu Limited on the delivery and installation of ALMDS.

"The addition of our mine countermeasures systems broadens the strong relationship we have with the Japan Ministry of Defense and we are very proud of that partnership. It goes back to the early 1960s," said McMahon. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force has flown the Northrop Grumman-built E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning command and control system since 1982.

SOURCE: Northrop Grumman; www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_releases.html?d=244673

About the Author

Gail Overton | Senior Editor (2004-2020)

Gail has more than 30 years of engineering, marketing, product management, and editorial experience in the photonics and optical communications industry. Before joining the staff at Laser Focus World in 2004, she held many product management and product marketing roles in the fiber-optics industry, most notably at Hughes (El Segundo, CA), GTE Labs (Waltham, MA), Corning (Corning, NY), Photon Kinetics (Beaverton, OR), and Newport Corporation (Irvine, CA). During her marketing career, Gail published articles in WDM Solutions and Sensors magazine and traveled internationally to conduct product and sales training. Gail received her BS degree in physics, with an emphasis in optics, from San Diego State University in San Diego, CA in May 1986.