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Arete Associates receives mine detection contract for Littoral Combat Ship

Arete Associates is being awarded a $8.5 million modification to an existing contract for the production of AN/DVS-1 Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis subassemblies.

By Stephen Carlson
An MQ-8 Fire Scout launches from the Littoral Combat Ship USS Fort Worth. U.S. Navy photo.
An MQ-8 Fire Scout launches from the Littoral Combat Ship USS Fort Worth. U.S. Navy photo.

June 23 (UPI) -- Arete Associates is being awarded a $8.5 million contract for the production of AN/DVS-1 Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis subassemblies.

The contract will provide the AN/DVS-1 COBRA for the Navy's Littoral Combat Ship mine countermeasures role, the Department of Defense announced Thursday. The work will be conducted in Tuscon, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by December 2019.

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Fiscal 2017 Navy procurement funds in the amount of $8.5 million will be allocated upon award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year.

The AN/DVS-1 COBRA is designed for unmanned aerial vehicles to detect minefields and obstacles along coastal waters in anticipation for an amphibious assault. It will be carried on the MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned helicopter deployed on the LCS.

The COBRA includes both the UAVs payload and the Tactical Control System for the Fire Scout's mission control system. The COBRA and Fire Scout allow Navy ships to have stand-off mine detection abilities in order to avoid enemy artillery and missile fire from the coast.

The MQ-8 Fire Scout is an unmanned aerial vehicle resembling a small helicopter. It is designed to provide reconnaissance and precision targeting data for air, ground, and sea forces.

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The Fire Scout is semi-autonomous and can be programmed to follow flight paths and operate with minimal pilot guidance. It can be launched from any ship capable of operating helicopters.

The Littoral Combat Ship is designed to operate in shallow coastal waters where larger ships cannot. It is a modular system that can be outfitted for a variety of missions, including patrols, interdiction, interdiction operations, and mine detection and clearance.

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