A $20 million contract to develop a system to detect mines and other obstacles in near-shore waters has been awarded to defense contractor BAE Systems.

The laser-based, airborne system will provide 24-hour capability to ensure safe ship-to-shore troop movement.

BAE Systems’ prototype uses Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology to determine the distance to an object or surface. The technology is similar to radar but uses laser pulses, rather than radio waves, and can collect high-resolution images through the ocean’s surface which allows small underwater objects to be detected.

The work will be performed at BAE facilities in Honolulu, Greenlawn, N.Y., Acton, Mass., and Hudson, N.H.