Ladies and gentlemen, strap into your seats and hold on to your hats. We’re about to plunge into the depths of military tech wizardry with Raytheon’s latest brainchild, the Barracuda countermine device.

This is more than just another gadget; it is a significant breakthrough in mine countermeasure technology, a pioneer in underwater warfare.

Barracuda: The Underwater Maverick

The origin of this 26-pound, 48-inch-long torpedo-like device was conceived under the $83-million US Navy contract, which defense tech giant Raytheon received in 2018.

That’s Barracuda for you, folks – a semi-autonomous, mine-hunting hound of the deep.

With 128 of these bad boys in production, the Navy’s getting ready to unleash hell on mines everywhere.

This thing’s got it all – a kill mechanism that doesn’t mess around, jet propulsion that would make a shark jealous, and sensors sharp enough to spot a needle in a haystack.

ANAQS-20C
AN/AQS-20C Towed Mine-hunting Sonar (Image source: DVIDS)

It’s guided by the AN/AQS-20C sonar system, a real piece of work that turns the Barracuda into a precision-guided missile of the sea.

The Barracuda has sophisticated eyes and ears – a camera and sonar on its nose to ensure it’s hitting the right target.