Northrop Grumman wins $124.5 million contract for optical mine-detection system

MELBOURNE, Fla., 7 Sept. 2005. Engineers at the Northrop Grumman Corp. are building optical mine-detection systems for the U.S. Navy under terms of a $124.5 million contract awarded Sept. 7.

The company's Airborne Ground Surveillance and Battle Management Systems segment in Melbourne, Fla., is building three low-rate initial production units of the AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System, otherwise known as ALMDS.

Awarding the contract are officials of the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, Fla. The contract number is N61331-05-C-0049.

ALMDS is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) airborne mine countermeasures high area coverage system that detects, classifies, and localizes floating and near-surface moored sea mines.

Northrop Grumman will do the work in Melbourne, Fla., and Tucson, Ariz., and will be finished by February 2010.