BAE to develop mine detector

BAE Systems (London, UK) has been awarded a $20m contract to develop a laser-based airborne system that detects mines and obstacles in near-shore waters for the US Navy and Marine Corps.

BAE Systems' prototype uses Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology to determine the distance to an object. LIDAR has the ability to collect images at a high resolution through the sea surface, allowing small underwater objects to be located and classified.

Development work on the system will be carried out at BAE Systems' facilities in Honolulu, HI, Greenlawn, NY, Acton, MA and Hudson, NH.

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-- Dave Wilson, Senior Editor, Vision Systems Design