Tenth AN/AQS-20C sonar delivered to US Navy
Raytheon has delivered the tenth AN/AQS-20C minehunting sonar system to the US Navy, the company announced on 15 January.
The sonar-towed system – which is the program of record for the navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) mine countermeasure mission package – is now fully qualified and will move toward initial operating capability.
The AN/AQS-20C comprises five distinct sonars, including a synthetic aperture sonar which provides the highest possible resolution for acoustic identification. The system detects, classifies, localises and identifies mines on the seabed, near-bottom moored mines, volume mines and near-surface mines.
The AQS-20C system is platform agnostic and can be integrated onto various tow vehicles. It is a key element in single sortie detect-to-engage capability, which combines the search-detect-identify and neutralise elements of an MCM mission on a single platform.
The programme completed developmental testing in February 2019, and will undergo further integration on the MCM Unmanned Surface Vehicle in early 2020 and ultimately aboard the LCS.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Euronaval 2026: Red Cat’s Blue Ops follows USV demand from Asia to the Andes]()
Euronaval 2026: Red Cat’s Blue Ops follows USV demand from Asia to the Andes
With its B-26 USV in full-rate production, Blue Ops is seeking to turn overseas interest into orders through a combination of lower operating costs, UAV integration and local manufacturing.
-
![Euronaval 2026: ‘I want to sell 31 Type 31s by 2031’ - CGO maps Babcock’s global push]()
Euronaval 2026: ‘I want to sell 31 Type 31s by 2031’ - CGO maps Babcock’s global push
Chief growth officer Sir Nick Hine tells Shephard how Babcock is lining up New Zealand, Chile, Denmark and the US for its Arrowhead 140 frigate, speaks on the hybrid navy offer and talks AUKUS.
-
![Euronaval 2026: Baltic breakthrough powers Saildrone’s next European expansion]()
Euronaval 2026: Baltic breakthrough powers Saildrone’s next European expansion
Denmark’s doubled deployment, Mediterranean smuggling routes and Norwegian composite hulls show where uncrewed surveillance demand is heading, while British funding remains unclear.
-
![Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift]()
Euronaval 2026: by the power of six, Fincantieri’s MMMV reflects modular naval shift
The 50m, six-person ship from the Italian shipbuilder carries swappable, containerised payloads instead of a fixed mission, reflecting a shift that is becoming increasingly evident.
-
![Canada’s submarine availability under pressure as Chicoutimi is unlikely to return to front-line duties]()
Canada’s submarine availability under pressure as Chicoutimi is unlikely to return to front-line duties
HMCS Victoria and HMCS Windsor could return from their current deep maintenance, but unconfirmed operational timelines leave questions over patrol capacity before the first CPSP arrives.
