Northrop Grumman’s AN/AES-1 ALMDS is designed to detect floating and near-surface moored mines. Credit: Northrop Grumman.

Northrop Grumman has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hanwha for the Republic of Korea’s Mine Countermeasures Helicopter (KMCH) programme.

The MOU reinforces the ongoing collaboration between Northrop Grumman and South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration. It is set to bolster Korea’s naval defence capabilities.

It outlines the scope of Hanwha’s contributions as a component supplier. As part of this agreement, Hanwha is tasked with producing parts for the Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) hardware components.

This MoU follows a 2023 deal in which Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) engaged Northrop Grumman to supply ALMDS technology and provide expertise during the engineering, manufacturing, and design stage of South Korea’s KMCH initiative.

Northrop Grumman has a track record of delivering ALMDS units to both the US Navy and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Northrop Grumman multi-domain command and control programmes vice-president Janice Zilch said: “Industry collaborations with companies such as Hanwha and KAI are key to Northrop Grumman’s approach to technology development across the globe. Our team is committed to delivering advanced solutions to meet the security needs of the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of National Defense.”

Navies around the globe are progressively focusing on uncrewed and autonomous mine countermeasure technologies to tackle the persistent danger posed by sea mines.

The AN/AES-1 ALMDS is designed to detect, classify, and locate floating and near-surface moored mines.

The system, which can be mounted on various helicopter platforms, enables untethered operations both day and night, achieving high area search rates.

Furthermore, ALMDS facilitates accurate target geo-location to aid in the neutralisation of detected mines.

Last year, Northrop Grumman entered into a MoU with South Korean defence and aerospace communications company Genohco.

Through this partnership, Northrop Grumman intends to use Genohco’s local manufacturing capabilities to assist in the production of ALMDS hardware components.

South Korea’s defence budget is projected to grow to $54.7bn by 2029, up from $45.2bn in 2024, in response to growing threats from North Korea.