ITT Exelis has been awarded a contract valued at more than $10 million to provide one MK 105 Mod 4 airborne minesweeping system for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City, Florida.

The Exelis MK 105 Mod 4 system will provide significant reliability and performance improvements, increasing the U.S. Navy's capability to conduct quick response, high-speed airborne mine countermeasures missions for the next decade. Minesweeping is a key feature of the Navy and Marine Corps Anti-Access, Area Denial strategy.

Since its introduction to the U.S. Navy fleet in 1972, the Exelis MK 105 system has been used in every major mine-clearance operation. The Navy’s MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter tows the system through the water, and twin magnetic tails, consisting of open-electrode magnetic sweeps, are towed behind the sled, detonating mines to clear the water for vessels.

“Exelis mine countermeasure systems enable safe passage of military and commercial vessels through global waterways, ports and harbors,” said Dave Prater, Vice President and General Manager of the Exelis Radar, Reconnaissance and Undersea Systems business.

“With our affordable sweep solutions, our customers can continue to stay ahead of modern sea mine threats, which have become more lethal and sophisticated over the years,” he added.

The work will be performed in Panama City, Florida, by the Exelis Radar, Reconnaissance and Undersea Systems business area which designs and develops integrated minesweeping systems for the U.S. and allied Navies.