Unmanned Warrior – Northrop Grumman’s AQS-24B to demonstrate mine hunting capability

Northrop Grumman Corporation announced a demonstration of unmanned mine hunting capability in the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior exercise.
Unmanned Warrior, the largest capability demonstration event of its kind, will take place at MoD exercise areas in Scotland and the Western Isles in October, as part of the biannual Joint Warrior exercise. It will feature more than 40 unmanned vehicles, sensors and systems demonstrating, in a challenging environment, key military missions for the Royal Navy in themed activities including mine-hunting, sea surveying, submarine simulation and fleet reconnaissance. The exercise will inform the Royal Navy’s future capability planning and demonstrate an ever-growing maritime situational awareness.
Among the attendances, the event will feature Northrop Grumman’s AQS-24B towed mine hunting sensor operated from an Atlas Elektronik UK ARCIMS Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV). The AQS-24B, a towed mine hunting sensor used by the U.S. Navy, uses high-speed synthetic aperture sonar for mine detection, localization and classification, and an optical laser line scan sensor for mine identification.
Atlas Elektronik’s ARCIMS USV, an 11-metre platform specifically designed for unmanned military applications with a shock resistant hull and a low platform underwater signature, with two waterjet propulsion units and a top speed of more than 40 knots, will be operated via remote control while towing the AQS-24B through a simulated mine field.