Dutch Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has contracted Safran to deliver its Sigma 40 inertial navigation units and the associated computers to modernize the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Walrus-class submarines.
“We chose Safran Electronics & Defense because we have great confidence in their long experience as a supplier of naval equipment. Their system’s performance and reliability, as well as customer support, were also decisive factors in our selection,” Danny Pronk, projects procurement officer, and Jaap Hagesteijn, senior naval systems integrator, from the Dutch Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) said in a joint statement.
Sigma 40 navigation systems are built around a ring laser gyro (RLG) inertial core. The systems are deployed by more than 40 navies worldwide, according to Safran.
The Royal Netherlands Navy operates four conventional, non-nuclear submarines. They are 68 meters long, displace 2,800 tons while submerged and have a complement of 55. They started entering service in 1990 and are scheduled to remain operational until 2025.