Northrop Grumman has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean conglomerate Hanwha to advance Seoul’s Mine Countermeasures Helicopter program. The deal continues the U.S. aerospace company’s long history of working with the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
The deal with Hanwha follows the collaboration between Northrop and defense and aerospace communications company Genohco in August to deliver hardware for the mine countermeasure initiative.
Northrop has been supplying nations with technology to address mines since 2007. Its AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System provides warfighters with the capability to detect, classify and locate floating and near-surface moored mines. It is usually mounted on a helicopter to enable accurate target geolocation.
Janice Zilch, vice president for multi-domain command and control programs at Northrop Grumman, highlighted how the company’s collaboration with Hanwha and Korea Aerospace Industries with ALMDS enables it to advance various technologies worldwide.
“Our team is committed to delivering advanced solutions to meet the security needs of the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of National Defense,” she said.
Northrop worked with a Korean government-led initiative in 2023 after securing a contract from KAI to manufacture and deliver ALMDS solutions and technical support. Apart from the Korean armed forces, the mine detection units are also used by the United States and Japan.