Autonomous, Expendable Mine Neutralisation System

Raytheon announced on 19 April it has won a contract for the design, test and deployment of the BARRACUDA mine neutralisation system after an open competition. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to over $362 million. Completion is currently scheduled for November 2022.

BARRACUDA is an expendable, autonomous unmanned underwater vehicle intended to identify and neutralise bottom, near-surface and drifting sea mines. It will field a shallow water capability and will consist of a kill mechanism, propulsion, sensors, and a communications buoy that enables wireless communication to the deployment platform.

“We’ve applied our sonar expertise and our understanding of the complex undersea environment to Barracuda,” explained Raytheon’s Vice President of Integrated Defense Systems’ Seapower Capability Systems business, Paul Ferraro. “It’s an innovative solution for the [US] Navy’s mine countermeasure mission and we are now one step closer to delivering.”