L-3 Communications' CyTerra Receives Order From US Army For Handheld Mine Detectors

L-3 Communications has announced that its CyTerra (L-3 CyTerra) subsidiary has received a follow-on order from the U.S. Army valued at more than $40 million for several thousand AN/PSS-14 advanced mine detection systems, plus accessories. The purchase is the second order placed by the U.S. Army under a ten year, full rate production contract for up to 17,000 units with an anticipated value in excess of $300 million.

The initial order, announced in August 2006, was for more than $24 million of AN/PSS-14 systems and accessories.

Unlike earlier generations of mine detectors that relied on metal detection alone, the AN/PSS-14 – developed by L-3 CyTerra under the U.S. Army Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System (HSTAMIDS) program – combines highly sensitive metal detection with ground-penetrating radar and advanced data fusion algorithms, all in a rugged, compact system. This unique combination of technologies represents a major advancement in detection capabilities and enables the AN/PSS-14 to accurately differentiate deadly landmines from harmless metal debris.

As U.S. troops continue to operate in some of the world's most heavily mined regions, the AN/PSS-14 significantly improves the speed and safety of mine clearance operations performed by U.S. forces, and dramatically enhances their ability to readily locate both metallic and low-metallic anti-personnel and anti-tank mines buried in all types of soil and terrain. To date, L-3 CyTerra has delivered more than 3,000 AN/PSS-14 mine detecting sets to the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps under this and other contracts.

"Mine detection and clearance remains a complex and high-risk challenge for our military," noted Craig Coy, President and Chief Operating Officer of the L-3 Homeland Security Group. "The scope of this contract and the accelerated rate at which the U.S. Army deploys the AN/PSS-14 signifies the trust they have in our technology. We're very proud to be a direct contributor to the demining efforts of the U.S. Armed Forces engaged in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world."