WASHINGTON — Advanced Acoustic Concepts (AAC), a U.S. subsidiary of French defense company Thales, has secured a $53.9 million U.S. Navy contract to deliver two integrated Remote Mine Hunting (RMH) modules with engineering support.
Announced on November 2, 2026, the contract includes options for additional modules. These could increase its total value to $196.2 million.
AI-Powered Mine-Hunting System
The RMH modules will support the Navy’s Mine Countermeasures (MCM) mission. They will help sailors detect, locate and classify underwater mines remotely, reducing risks to personnel and ships.
The system follows the “Find, Fix and Finish” approach. Its key technologies include:
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Multiview Towed Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS): Provides high-resolution underwater imaging and mine detection while reducing false targets.
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AI-Augmented Automatic Target Recognition (ATR): Helps operators process, classify, map and manage data. It also speeds up target identification and decision-making.
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Modular Integration: Enables operation with manned and unmanned surface vessels, with provisions for future remote mine-neutralization capabilities.
The modules are designed to support the Navy’s shift toward unmanned mine-countermeasure systems, including the Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MCM USV).
Contract Details and Timeline
The Navy awarded the contract on August 5, 2026, following a competition that received three offers. The initial award value is $53,943,257 under contract N00024-26-C-6304. Fiscal Year 2026 operations and maintenance funds were allocated.
Work will be carried out at four locations:
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Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania: 66%
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Clarksburg, Maryland: 20%
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Great River, New York: 7%
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Washington, D.C.: 7%
Base work is expected to finish by October 2029. If all options are exercised, the contract could continue through September 2033.
Thales and AAC on the Program
Rob Geckle, CEO of Thales North America, said countering underwater mine threats is essential to maritime security and naval mission success. He said the program will strengthen fleet readiness.
Mike Carnovale, President of AAC, said the program combines Thales’ mine-warfare technologies with AAC’s undersea warfare expertise. He highlighted the integration of sonar, classification software and future remote-neutralization capabilities to simplify operations and speed up the process from detection to action.
Founded in New York in 1989, AAC became a wholly owned Thales subsidiary in 2022. It operates under a U.S. Department of Defense-approved Proxy Agreement to address foreign ownership, control or influence concerns.
AAC has a long history of supplying sonar and undersea warfare systems to the U.S. Navy. The latest contract is its largest award to date.
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