Hanwha joins Northrop Grumman to provide ALMDS for KMCH programme

Northrop Grumman and Hanwha have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in connection with the Korean Mine Countermeasures Helicopter (KMCH) programme, Northrop Grumman announced on 20 February 2025.

The MoU, which follows Korea Aerospace Industries’ (KAI’s) 2023 contract for Northrop Grumman to provide its Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) for the engineering, manufacturing and development phase of South Korea’s KMCH programme, defines the work that Hanwha will perform as a supplier. This will include supporting the manufacturing of ALMDS hardware components.

Northrop Grumman’s AN/AES-1 ALMDS detects, classifies and locates floating and near-surface moored mines. Mounted onto a variety of helicopter platforms, the system is capable of untethered day or night operations, which allow it to attain high area search rates. ALMDS also provides accurate target geolocation to support follow-on neutralisation of the detected mines.

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

To date, Northrop Grumman has delivered ALMDS units to the US Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).