Thales
has been awarded a contract to supply minesweeping equipment for the
Republic of Korea Navy’s (ROKN) new Mine Sweeper Hunters. The
contract signed with ITT Corporation (now ITT Exelis) is for the supply
of three ship sets of Advanced Acoustic Generators (AAGs) from Thales
in Australia.
These will be provided by ITT Exelis to GMB USA, which is the prime
contractor for the ROKN’s Mine Sweeper Hunter (MSH) Combined Influence
Sweep (CIS) project.
Jean Pellegrin, Thales Country Director South Korea, said: “The
ROKN has committed to having the most advanced minesweeping technology,
which is also in service with the Royal Australian Navy, the United
States Navy, and two other navies.”
“As new mine-related threats emerge, it is vitally important to
deploy cutting-edge systems that deliver innovative and flexible capabilities
to friendly naval forces on operations. We are extremely proud to be
a part of the ROKN’s capability in this area.”
Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia’s CEO, said: “This technology
is the result of close cooperation with Australia’s Defence Science
and Technology Organisation (DSTO), as well as a long term investment
to develop innovative, specialised solutions at our facility in Sydney,
Australia. We believe the AAG is well suited to the export market, and
this contract reflects growing international interest in our minesweeping
systems.” |
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“This latest contract also further confirms
the capability advantage and cost competitiveness that can be provided
by Australian industry.”
The AAG is at the forefront of mine countermeasures technology. A water
driven, turbine powered acoustic generator that emulates ship noise,
it can be integrated with any sweep system. Originally developed by
Thales Australia in conjunction with Adelaide-based SME Resonance Technology,
and with the collaboration of DSTO, it meets a global need for sophisticated
minesweeping products.
Thales in Australia manufactures and exports minesweeping products to
navies throughout the world, and has established a significant design,
manufacturing and production capability for these products.
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