Northrop Grumman to supply South Korea’s Mine Countermeasures Helicopter program with Airborne Laser Mine Detection Systems.

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract by Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd. (KAI) to provide Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) solutions and technical support for the Engineering, Manufacturing and Design (EMD) phase of the Republic of Korea’s Korean Mine Countermeasures Helicopter (KMCH) program. The EMD phase is expected to be completed in 2027.
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Northrop Grumman’s self-contained design allows ALMDS to be installed on several aircraft types. (Picture source: US Navy)

“Our strategic partnership with KAI to bring ALMDS technology to the KMCH program builds on our decades of commitment to deliver advanced solutions that support the Republic of Korea's Ministry of National Defense,” said Janice Zilch, vice president of multi-domain command and control (MDC2) programs, Northrop Grumman.

“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, the rotary wing division of Korea Aerospace Industries.

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

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our 98,000 employees define possible every day.