Airborne MCM

The Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) program, as detailed in Budget Line Item 4248, is a Navy initiative focused on the procurement, modification, and sustainment of airborne systems designed to detect and neutralize sea mines. The primary platforms for AMCM operations are the MH-60S and MH-53E helicopters. The MH-53E is scheduled for divestment by FY 2028 as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mine Countermeasures Mission Package (MCM MP) achieves full operational capability. The goal of this program is to ensure the Navy maintains robust mine countermeasures capabilities to support fleet maneuverability and maritime security in mine-threatened environments.

The MODIFICATIONS line item is the largest component of this budget request. It supports product improvements and engineering change proposals (ECPs) for the AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) and the AN/ASQ-235 Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS). These modifications address obsolescence, safety, reliability, and maintainability issues in systems that have been in service since 2017. Objectives include replacing aging subsystems, refurbishing critical components such as the ALMDS Laser Transmitter Unit (LTU) coolant o-rings, and upgrading hardware to meet evolving operational and cybersecurity requirements. These efforts are vital to sustaining system availability and performance through the projected end of service life for ALMDS.

The AN/AES-1 ALMDS provides rapid, wide-area reconnaissance and assessment of mine threats in littoral and confined waters, supporting Carrier and Expeditionary Strike Groups. The system uses LIDAR technology for high-coverage detection and classification of near-surface and moored sea mines. The budget supports ongoing modernization, including improvements to the Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) algorithm, integration of machine learning for false call reduction, and continued software and cybersecurity enhancements. These upgrades address the obsolescence of a 20-year-old design and ensure operational effectiveness in current and future threat environments.

The AN/ASQ-235 AMNS is a mine neutralization system deployed from the MH-60S helicopter, providing the capability to reacquire, identify, and neutralize moored and proud sea mines using remotely controlled expendable devices. Planned updates focus on the Launch and Handling System (LHS) to improve reliability and operational efficiency. These enhancements are driven by increased operational demand and the need to maintain readiness as legacy systems are phased out.

The Net-Centric Sensor Analysis for Mine Warfare (NSAM) is a software and hardware solution that replaces the Organic Post Mission Analysis (OPMA) system. NSAM provides post-mission analysis for ALMDS and AMNS, as well as integrated contact management for multiple mine warfare sensors. Funding supports the procurement of NSAM computers to address diminishing manufacturing sources, obsolescence, and increased processing power requirements. NSAM is intended to become the Navy's single tactical and environmental post-mission analysis system for all future mine warfare sensor data.

The MINEnet Tactical (MNT) and Minefield Planning (MFP) systems are additional software tools with associated hardware components funded under this line item. MNT serves as the Navy's primary mine warfare tactical decision aid, supporting tactical planning, post-mission evaluation, and situational awareness. Funding is allocated for hardware and spares procurement to replace obsolete computers and ensure cybersecurity compliance. MFP provides users with the ability to plan and assess minefields based on operational objectives and environmental data, with funds supporting hardware deployment and spares.