Northrop Grumman signs South Korean laser mine detection deal

Northrop Grumman's work on South Korea’s Mine Countermeasures Helicopter (KMCH) programme will be intensified by a new agreement with Genohco. Genohco, a South Korean communications and networking component manufacturer, will supply parts to help speed up the programme which is part of Northrop Grumman’s longstanding industrial cooperation with South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding in August 2024, confirming that Genohco would support the manufacturing of parts for the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS).

The ALMDS is a helicopter-based system which detects, classifies and localises floating and near-surface moored mines. It uses an MH-60S helicopter to provide a rapid wide-area reconnaissance and assessment of mine threats in littoral zones, confined straits, choke points and amphibious objective areas.

The ALMDS uses pulsed laser light and streak tube receivers housed in an external equipment pod to “see” the entire near-surface volume which potentially houses mines. It can be used in both day or night environments without towing equipment in the water and without having to stream out. Instead, it uses the forward motion of the aircraft to generate image data, cutting out the traditional need for complex scanning mechanisms. The ALMDS also delivers accurate geolocation data which can be used to follow up and either neutralise, recover or safely detonate the mines it detects.

So far, Northrop Grumman has delivered 24 ALMDS units to the US Navy and four to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

Janice Zilch, vice-president of multi-domain command and control programmes at Northrop Grumman, said collaborations like the company's new agreement with Genohco were “key to our approach to technology development across the globe”.

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