Finnish Defence Forces Choose KONGSBERG Naval Sonars for SQ2000 Mid-Life Upgrade.

Kongsberg Maritime has been awarded a contract by Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) to deliver ST2400 VDS (Variable Depth Sonar) upgrades to the SQ2000MLU program for the Hamina-Class Corvettes fleet. The ST2400 VDS is designed to provide accurate and highly reliable performance for detecting submarines, mines and Unmanned Underwater Vehicles in Littoral waters. The ST2400 VDS upgrade will enable the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability on all four Hamina-Class Corvettes operating in the Baltics.

Finnish Navy Hamina class missile boat

The ST2400 VDS is a medium-frequency sonar designed with an emphasis on performance and operation in shallow waters. It features a compact design, weighing under 3 tonnes and can be rapidly deployed for high speed manoeuvring in addition to full stop (dipping mode). The unique ST2400 VDS is a compact package with Omni-directional coverage and performance that can overcome challenging acoustic environments while not limiting the vessel’s manoeuvrability.

Hamina-Class Corvette (right) pictured next to a Rauma-Class vessel

Kongsberg Maritime Subsea Naval, Director of Sales, Thomas Hostvedt Dahle said: “The Finnish Navy has been our key partner from the early development of the first ST240 VDS in the 90’s to the latest version of the ST2400 VDS that we have today. It has been field tested in challenging conditions in the very shallow parts of the Baltics where reverberation issues and layers are dominant. We look forward to continue to improve and develop our system to operate in probably the world’s toughest ASW environment, together with the Finnish Navy."