Thales' Kingklip sonar performance hailed by Brazilian and Indonesian navies.

Thales is helping the Brazilian and Indonesian navies to modernise their underwater capabilities at every decisive moment thanks to the outstanding performance of the Kingklip sonar. Kingklip Mk2 is a medium-frequency active and passive hull-mounted sonar for multi-purpose corvettes and frigates. It performs permanent torpedo and underwater obstacle avoidance functions and offers multi-static interoperability with the Thales’ CAPTAS and FLASH sonars.

Thales' Kingklip Mk2 hull-mounted sonar
(Credit: Thales)

Thales's Brazilian subsidiary Omnisys recently obtained certification for the Kingklip as a Strategic Defence Product (PED) in an official endorsement of the Group's decision to develop advanced sonar solutions in Brazil. The Kingklip sonar delivers exceptional performance and is the ideal response to the requirements of the Tamandaré programme.

With Omnisys, Thales is committed to helping develop the Brazilian defence industry. Thales and Omnisys are investing over R$ 20 million (€5 million) in the local production of transducers, making Omnisys the first company to build an industrial infrastructure to manufacture sonar equipment in Brazil.

Also this year, Thales reached another milestone with the Indonesian Navy with the successful installation and integration of the Kingklip hull-mounted sonar on the Diponegoro-class corvette. For more than 40 years, the Group has provided combat systems to help the Indonesian Navy to sustain their capabilities. The Kingklip will further enhance the Navy's ability to meet the country's defence requirements. The sonar upgrade follows a repair of the corvette, which was damaged in an accident during a routine sea operation in January 2015.

Thales worked closely with local industrial partner PT Dharma Satya Nusantara (DSN) on the repair of the system, reinforcing its commitment to long-term relationships with local industry partners, through-life support and the transfer of knowledge and expertise.

Thales has provided more than 150 hull-mounted sonars to more than 20 navies since 1975. In 2017, the Kingklip was selected by the French Navy to equip its La Fayette frigates and the next-generation intermediate frigates being developed on the FTI programme.