Joanna Crews
Northrop Grumman and SeeByte have partnered to incorporate data from a minehunting sensor into a technology platform that works to automatically recognize targets.
The partnership seeks to integrate the SeeTrack autonomous target recognition system with the AQS-24B minehunter device that uses a side-scan sonar and a laser line scanner to navigate the ocean floor, Northrop said Thursday.
Alan Lytle, vice president of Northrop’s undersea systems business, said the integrated platform is intended to help naval customers detect and classify bottom mines.
Both companies aim to introduce and demonstrate their offering at the Australian navy’s Autonomous Warrior 18 exercise slated to take in November at Jervis Bay, New South Wales.
The team plans to offer the integrated system across Europe, the Middle East and Pacific Rim.
Northrop designed its minehunting platform to operate at a speed of 18 knots and noted the AQS minehunter series has logged thousands of operational hours to date.
