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Naval Defense Industry News - Germany |
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New
Capabilities & New Customer for Rheinmetall MASS Ship Protection
System |
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Rheinmetall
continues to expand its range of ship protection products. The Düsseldorf-based
system supplier has added to the capabilities of its tried-and-tested
Multi Ammunition Softkill System, or MASS. Since space and weight always
present a limiting factor on any platform, Rheinmetall has integrated
an anti-torpedo capability into MASS. The current concept offers the
possibility of launching up to four anti-torpedo decoys from a single
MASS launcher. Existing launchers can be easily equipped with the new
anti-torpedo upgrade kit without modification. |
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At Euronaval
2014 Rheinmetall was displaying the MASS system equipped with CANTO
anti-torpedo technology from French defence contractor DCNS
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At Euronaval
2014 Rheinmetall was displaying the MASS system equipped with anti-torpedo
technology from French defence contractor DCNS. Basically speaking,
though, any anti-torpedo system can be integrated into the upgrade kit.
Rheinmetall also continues to offer the Multi Ammunition Softkill System
variant MASS_ISS (ISS stands for “Integrated Sensor Suite”).
It features integrated radar ESM systems and laser warning systems.
Threat analysis conducted by Rheinmetall and a number of its customers
shows that the threat to seagoing vessels in littoral waters from small
weapons such as guided missiles (i.e. asymmetric threats) is basically
undetectable using current shipboard sensor systems. In order to bridge
this capability gap, Rheinmetall is cooperating with the Israeli company
Elta to integrate its NavGuard technology into MASS.
NavGuard is a radar-based projectile warning system capable of detecting
even small incoming threats.MASS has already undergone successful live-fire
testing in combination with NavGuard.
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HMNZS Te
Mana (F111) is one of ten Anzac class frigates
and one of two serving in the Royal New Zealand Navy.
(picture: Benchill)
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In the meantime
another nation has joined the growing list of MASS users. New Zealand
has decided to equip two of its MEKO-class frigates (jointly procured
with Australia) with MASS. The contract, issued by the New Zealand
Ministry of Defence under an ANZAC modernization programme, is worth
€4.2 million. In this project, Rheinmetall is acting as subcontractor
to Lockheed Martin Canada Ltd.(LMC). LMC has contracted with Rheinmetall
Waffe Munition (RMW) to supply two MASS systems in twin-launcher configuration
(MASS_2L), including a long-range capability, plus two naval laser
warning systems (NLWS).
The fact that MASS is being integrated together with NLWS technology
is a reminder of the ever-growing asymmetric threats which navies
around the world haveto contend with today in modern combat operations.
The MASS systems are being manufactured at Rheinmetall’s Buck
Fronau plant in Bavaria.
Rheinmetall is procuring the naval laser warning systems from SAAB
Grintek Defence Pty.of South Africa. The subsystems produced in South
Africa will be supplied to LMC together with the MASS systems for
integration into the ships.
Moreover, New Zealand is not just another MASS user nation, but –following
in Canada’s wake –also constitutes another “Five
Eyes” customer.
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