Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS)
Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield demonstrated the need for mine hunting systems as an integral element of deployed forces. As a result, the Navy began developing a suite of organic airborne mine countermeasure systems (OAMCM) to negate the identified threat. One of the systems, the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS), is a mine countermeasure that is intended to detect, classify, and localize floating and near-surface moored sea mines. The system is mounted on the MH-60S helicopter and will be deployed from the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and is an integral part of the Mine Countermeasures Mission Package.
Areté’s patented
Streak Tube Imaging LIDAR (STIL) is at the heart of ALMDS. STIL allows a revolutionary, high area search rate capability for reconnaissance and assessment of mine threats in littoral zones, confined straits, choke points and amphibious objective areas. In combination with a high-powered blue green laser fan beam, the system utilizes the forward motion of the helicopter in a push broom configuration to generate volume images of surface and near-surface mines. The images are processed by automatic target recognition (ATR) algorithms. This configuration does not have moving parts and allows high system reliability. ALMDS is capable of day and night operations without any equipment modifications.