RNMB Halcyon seen at AEUK's Bincleaves site with the AN/AQS-20C launch and recovery system installed. (Richard Scott/NAVYPIX)
Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) and Raytheon have teamed to demonstrate an autonomous mine hunting solution based on the AEUK Atlas Remote Capability Integrated Mission Suite (ARCIMS) unmanned surface vehicle (USV) to the UK Royal Navy (RN).
The two companies have integrated Raytheon's AN/AQS-20C mine hunting sonar system with an ARCIMS USV for participation in the forthcoming Wilton Industry Show and Experiment for Mine Counter Measures (WISEX) demonstration in the Clyde approaches. Scheduled to start in mid-October on ranges off Campbeltown, WISEX is a capability showcase intended to allow industry to demonstrate candidate systems and technologies for the RN's Mine Hunting Capability (MHC) Block 2 programme and/or future spirals.
Towed behind a USV, the AN/AQS-20C incorporates four separate sonars in a compact, lightweight, and hydro-dynamically stable towed body. These comprise a synthetic aperture sonar covering a broad swath either side, a forward looking sonar for volume search through the water column, and a nadir gap-filling sonar looking beneath the towed body.
Raytheon has already delivered 10 AN/AQS-20C sonar systems to the US Navy, and is upgrading 10 more AN/AQS-20A sets to AQS-20C standard.
Looking to read the full article?
Gain unlimited access to Janes news and more...
