Defence company Thales has been awarded a contract by the French defence procurement agency (DGA) to develop a new sonar suite for France’s new nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs).
As informed, the sonar suite will be designed for third-generation nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines (SNLE 3G) and the programme to modernise its second-generation submarines (SNLE 2G).
It will feature a range of disruptive technologies, with large arrays housing a multitude of high-performance sensors supported by powerful Big Data algorithms. The new sonar suite will provide a comprehensive picture of the underwater acoustic environment to thwart increasingly silent threats for decades to come.
The four SSBNs in the French Navy’s Strategic Oceanic Force ( Force Océanique Stratégique, FOST ) are deployed to provide a permanent nuclear deterrent.
The new sensors will generate significantly larger volumes of data than earlier systems. The ALICIA data processing system ( Analyse, Localisation, Identification, Classification Intégrées et Alertes ) will use advanced Big Data algorithms, with intuitive user interfaces to optimise operator workload and provide decision support, according to Thales.
“ The latest innovations developed by dedicated Thales engineers for the current and future generations of SSBNs will provide the French Navy with a comprehensive acoustic picture of the underwater environment to counter current and future threats, helping to consolidate its position as one of the world’s leading naval forces ,” Gwendoline Blandin-Roger , Vice President, Underwater Systems, Thales.