PALM BEACH, Fla., Dec. 13 (UPI) -- The Lockheed Martin remote mine-hunting system for the U.S. Navy's littoral combat ship completed developmental testing earlier this month, the Navy said.
At-sea testing of the system comprised of a remote mission vehicle and variable depth sonar was to demonstrate the system's reliability and effectiveness.
The operations tested included the mission cycle, from pre-launch mission planning and vehicle readiness checks to operations in a simulated minefield and post-mission data analysis.
The Navy said the system operated as expected, opening the door to later deployment on the littoral combat ship as a component of the LCS mine counter-measures mission package.
The testing was led by the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Panama City, Fla. The next events for the remote mine-hunting system will be an operational assessment in January and its use in the complete LCS mine counter-measures mission package the following year, the Navy said.
