CPI Aerostructures [CVU] has received an order from Northrop Grumman [NOC] to produce pods for housing the Navy’s Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) intended to operate off the Littoral Combat Ships, CPI said yesterday.
The four pods are for the fourth low-rate initial production (LRIP) run of the ALMDS, which is designed for mounting on helicopters operating off ships to detect moored mines just below the water’s surface. CPI built the pods for the first three LRIPs.
ALMDS uses streak tube imaging light detection and ranging to find and classify the mines. The system transmits a fan-shaped laser beam to establish a swath and sweeps the light over the water, Northrop Grumman, which is the prime contractor for the program, said.
ALMDS uses four cameras focused on the area under the laser’s coverage to pick up the imaging and feed it to an algorithm that spots potential mines and stores them and their location for analysis and eventual neutralization.
The Japanese Navy has also initiated procurement of the ALMDS system.