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Euronaval
2012 - Show Daily News |
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Thales
sonars qualified at sea for French and Italian FREMM frigates
Conclusive sea trials confirm FREMM’s anti-submarine warfare
function |
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Euronaval,
24 October 2012 – The official qualification trials of the sonars
for the FREMM frigate programme took place over a six-week period in
June and July 2012 on the FREMM frigate Aquitaine in the Bay of Biscay.
The successful trials are the culmination of nine months of testing
with the UMS 4110 CL bow-mounted sonar and CAPTAS 4249 towed-array sonar,
which have now achieved Level 1 at-sea qualification.
The qualification trials covered the active, passive and obstacle-avoidance
functions of the sonars and were conducted for DCNS, the European armaments
procurement agency OCCAR, the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA,
Direction générale de l’armement) and the French
Navy.
The Thales sonars demonstrated unparalleled levels of performance, including
very longrange anti-submarine detection and simultaneous anti-torpedo
defence capabilities. |
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CAPTAS 4249
sonar on Thales stand at Euronaval 2012
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The
CAPTAS 4249 sonar is based on very low-frequency passive and active
arrays to provide operators with an exceptional reach on silent targets.
It is equipped with a quick deployment system for lowering it into the
water. Its long-range detection capability will allow FREMM frigates
to maintain a tactical advantage over submarines. Thales has more than
20 years' experience in this field and is the world leader in very low-frequency
variable-depth sonars. CAPTAS is the only active low-frequency variable-depth
sonar in service with NATO forces and other leading navies around the
world.
The UMS 4110 CL is a long-range sonar for offensive anti-submarine operations
and frigate self-defence. This hull-mounted sonar is designed for multi-mode
operation and can operate simultaneously in active surveillance mode
for anti-submarine warfare and obstacle avoidance, as well as in passive
mode for listening only or for tracking torpedoes. This system incorporates
the very latest underwater acoustic technologies, giving FREMM frigates
cuttingedge detection capabilities to counter a broad range of threat
profiles in all environments. |
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Thales sonars
on display at Euronaval 2012
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"We
are extremely satisfied with the results of these qualification trials,"
said Benoit Plantier, CEO of Thales Underwater Systems. "The Thales
sonars met all expectations in terms of their performance and are now
fully qualified in line with the programme delivery schedules. This
success further demonstrates the remarkable capabilities of our systems
as well as our ability to satisfy our customers."
FREMM frigates are built under DCNS prime contractorship. They are among
the most technologically advanced and competitively priced vessels on
the world market. These heavily armed warships carry state-of-the-art
weapons and systems including the Herakles multifunction radar, Aster
anti-air missiles, Exocet MM40 anti-ship missiles and MU90 torpedoes.
Thales is a global leader in underwater acoustics. With their unparalleled
detection range, these latest-generation sonars give the FREMM frigates
a critical anti-submarine warfare capability and a significant advantage
in today's increasingly diverse threat environment.
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