Thales subsidiary AAC lands $53.9M US Navy mine-hunting contract

What's the deal? The US Navy awarded Advanced Acoustic Concepts (AAC), a subsidiary of Thales, a $53.9 million contract on 3 November 2026 for remote mine-hunting modules and engineering support. The award covers systems used for off-board mine countermeasures, keeping sailors away from the minefield. Thales said the work will be carried out at AAC's facility in Hauppauge, New York.

Why it matters: Remote mine-hunting modules let surface ships detect and neutralise mines with unmanned systems rather than exposing crews, and the US Navy has been steadily moving its mine-countermeasures fleet toward an unmanned architecture. The award extends Thales' position in US naval undersea warfare through its American subsidiary.

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