MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28 take part in the exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2019.
According to the U.S. Navy, the squadrons used the modern Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) and the Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS) for the first time in the Baltic Sea and the Naval Forces Europe area of operations.
The ALMDS uses pulsed laser light and streak tube receivers housed in an external equipment pod to image the entire near-surface volume potentially containing mines. ALMDS is capable of day or night operations without stopping to stream out or recover equipment and without towing any equipment in the water. With unteathered operations, it can attain high area search rates.
This design uses the forward motion of the aircraft to generate image data negating the requirement for complex scanning mechanisms and ensuring high system reliability. ALMDS also provides accurate target geo-location to support follow on neutralization of the detected mines.
