Northrop Grumman has successfully demonstrated its AN/AQS-24 mine-hunting sonar operating from an unmanned surface vessel, advancing the US Navy’s goal of shifting hazardous mine countermeasure missions away from sailors. Conducted in Panama City, Florida, the trials took place just 45 days after contract award and confirmed the system’s ability to detect, classify, and localize underwater explosives while towed by an autonomous platform. The sonar combines synthetic aperture technology with laser sensors and can operate at high speeds and significant depths, supporting safer, standoff mine-clearance operations.
