Navy's sea drone trials high-speed minehunting with Northrop's sonar

Northrop Grumman has successfully integrated its AN/AQS-24 minehunting sonar system with a Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), marking a significant advancement in the US Navy’s efforts to deploy uncrewed solutions for detecting and clearing naval mines. The demonstration, conducted in Panama City, Florida, occurred just 45 days after Northrop Grumman secured a Navy contract and confirmed that the system met all primary government objectives, including performance, safety, and operational effectiveness. This integration enables a remotely operated, towed minehunting capability that reduces risks to sailors and crewed aircraft, aligning with the Navy’s strategic shift toward uncrewed mine countermeasures to replace legacy systems and operate effectively in contested maritime environments. The AN/AQS-24B/C is a high-performance, helicopter-towed sonar system designed for rapid detection, localization, and classification of both bottom and moored naval mines at speeds up to 18 knots. It employs high-resolution side