Northrop Wins South Korea's Mine Detection Contract

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has awarded Northrop Grumman to support Korean Mine Countermeasures Helicopter (KMCH) in South Korea.

Under the contract, Northrop Grumman will provide Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) solutions and technical support for the Engineering, Manufacturing and Design (EMD) phase of South Korean KMCH program. The EMD phase is expected to be completed in 2027.

“The mission of ALMDS is to detect, classify and localize floating and near-surface moored mines rapidly. KAI is convinced that the ALMDS integration will make a significant improvement to the Republic of Korea’s Navy mine detection capabilities. The program will also enhance our strategic partnership with Northrop Grumman in the defense domain,” said Chang-heon Han, executive vice president, rotary wing division, Korea Aerospace Industries.

ALMDS is capable of untethered day or night operations, which allow it to attain high area search rates. ALMDS also provides accurate target geo-location to support follow-on neutralization of the detected mines.