HNoMS Uredd, an Ula-class submarine, recently became the first Norwegian submarine to fire the IDAS submarine launched missile system from a submerged position.
Interactive Defence and Attack System for Submarines (IDAS) is a missile system developed by the IDAS Consortium, formed by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Diehl BGT Defence.
While the IDAS system was already successfully test-fired from submarines of the German Navy in the past, this marks the first ejection of the IDAS missile system from a Norwegian submarine.
The goal of the trials was to test the full functionality of the missile ejection out of a weapon tube, including the first initial underwater flight phase.
According to ThyssenKrupp, the test objectives were achieved. The company added that the current industrial financed initial development phase will be concluded by an operational firing test in spring 2017 from another Norwegian submarine.
IDAS is a lightweight fibre-optic guided missile and the first active self-defence ASW for submerged submarines. The system enables the submerged cruising submarine to engage airborne, surface and land targets near the coast.
This enables collateral damage to be avoided in a way that is not possible when deploying torpedoes or heavyweight missiles. ThyssenKrupp says the system can be integrated into existing and new submarines.
Within the IDAS Consortium, the missile as well as the the fibre optical system are developed and produced by Diehl BGT Defence.
Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is responsible for the submarine integration and production of the ejection container.