AN/AQS-20A

The system was initially tested for use on the MH-60S and MH-53E helicopters and as part of the mission package for the littoral combat ships (LCS) and some United States Navy destroyers of the Arleigh Burke class.

However, the Chief of Naval Operations excluded the system from use on helicopter assets in March 2012, and only one destroyer has been outfitted with the specific mission package as of April 2009.

The "Q-20", as it is commonly called, is an underwater towed body containing a high resolution, side-looking, multi-beam sonar system used for minehunting along the ocean bottom.

This rapidly deployable system provides real-time sonar images to operators to locate, classify, mark and record mine-like objects and underwater terrain features.

Once located, the exact coordinates of mine-like objects can be used by explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel to reacquire and neutralize the mine.