Safran Electronics and Defense revealed the modified launcher during the Euronaval 2024 press tour, during a briefing at Naval Group’s shipyard in Lorient, Britany.
Already in service with the French Navy and a number of international naval forces, NGDS uses a stabilized two-axis launcher that is able to train very rapidly in both azimuth and elevation in order to deploy the decoy payload with a high degree of accuracy. Safran describes the system as “a versatile and highly capable platform suitable to fire a wide variety of anti-missile/anti-torpedo ammunition, of both the mortar and rocket types, whether chaff, flares, obscurants, corner reflectors, anti-torpedo, passive or active, of various calibers up to 150 mm.”
The new modification consists in fitting four Mistral 3 short-range surface to air missiles on each side of the NGDS launcher, meaning a single NGDS can deploy a up to 8 ready-to-fire missiles. So-called “first rank” vessels of the French Navy are typically fitted with two NGDS launchers: With this upgrade, Safran (and MBDA) could provide the Marine Nationale (and existing users of the NGDS such as the Republic of Singapore Navy) with a rather simple solution to adopt RAM-like CIWS or point-defense missile systems (PDMS) consisting in a total of 16 missiles. The Mistral 3 missile has an operational range of up to 8 Km (but has demonstrated an interception of a UAV at a range of 12 Km during a test campaign in Spain). It is able to intercept sea-skimming anti-ship missiles as well as surface targets such as FIAC and USV.
A key advantage of the modification proposed by Safran is that NGDS doesn’t become a dedicated missile launcher. It retains the ability to deploy up to 8 Lacroix 150 mm caliber SEALEM and SEALIR decoy rockets respectively deploying advanced radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) payloads. NATO standard 130 mm calibre munitions can also be deployed, as demonstrated during field tests earlier this year.
Another advantage of the solution, is that as for the decoys, crewmembers can fairly easily and rapidly reload the NGDS with spare Mistral missiles, while underway at sea. This is impossible to do with most other PDMS including RAM launchers.
Western navies, with the help of industry are adapting to the new threats that have been emerging recently in the Red Sea and Black Sea. Things like loitering ammunitions, kamikaze USV, or swarms of drones.
The Red Sea and Black Sea connection
Tayfun Ozberk is Naval News‘ Turkey-based correspondent and a former commanding officer of a Fast Attack Craft in the Turkish Navy. Here is his insights regarding the new “hard-kill ammunition” option for the NGDS:
“The asymmetric threat to warships at sea has been becoming increasingly dangerous. Recent conflicts, such as the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels against vessels in the Red Sea, have vividly demonstrated just how difficult these threats can be. The fact that ships are forced to defend themselves with costly weapons and ammunition against relatively inexpensive offensive systems has proven that this approach is unsustainable in a prolonged, high-intensity conflict. As a result, there is an urgent need for low-cost, highly effective defensive systems that can operate continuously and provide reliable protection.
In response to these evolving threats, a new defense paradigm must complement existing capabilities, particularly in the face of asymmetric dangers like drone swarm attacks. The effective use of the electromagnetic spectrum, advanced cyber capabilities, and a seamless integration of both hardkill and softkill measures will significantly enhance a ship’s survivability in such conflict environments. Safran’s new NGDS evolution offers an innovative, automated solution that unites hardkill and softkill capabilities to provide comprehensive protection.
Additionally, the need to operate in high-risk areas for extended periods of time due to asymmetric threats imposes a unique strain on personnel, requiring them to remain on combat watch in shifts, maintaining peak readiness for long stretches. However, during inevitable periods when the ship is not at its highest level of readiness, it remains vulnerable to these threats. This underscores the growing necessity for automated systems. The widespread adoption of integrated hardkill and softkill systems, designed to be user-friendly within command and control environments, is expected to revolutionize naval warfare, gradually increasing their effectiveness and ensuring enhanced ship survivability.”
According to Safran, the upgrade would be fairly easy to implement. Pierre-Olivier Nougues, VP sales and Marketing at Safran, explained that “this is an opportunity” the company is proposing to existing NGDS users, insisting that “existing systems can be refitted with Tetral modules” and this could be done as quickly as what the company has recently achieved for the French Navy: For the record, Safran, earlier this year, was able to upgrade in-service Air Defense FREMM and Horizon type vessels of the French Navy with its PASEO XLR EO/IR system following an urgent operational requirement of the French Navy. The move was directly related to the Red Sea deployments of French vessels. The system is now being fitted aboard all first rank vessels in the French fleet. Nougues said Safran could implement the Mistral adaptation to NGDS “in 6 to 12 months, that’s a reasonably optimistic schedule”.
Mistral is not the only hard kill ammunition which could be fitted on the NGDS. Naval News understands that the company has initiated talks with Thales regarding the possible integration of their new rocket systems for counter drones applications. Another hard-kill ammunition could potentially be Akeron MP by MBDA.
Modular NGDS
Safran is also working on a modular solution for its (legacy) decoy launcher. The French company inked in 2023 a MoU with Danish naval modularity company SH Defence. This is in relation to an ongoing Royal Danish Navy requirement for modular decoy launcher to be fitted on the future class of Danish patrol ships.
According to SH Defence and the trend of future Danish light frigate/corvettes and patrol ships, adaptability is at the heart of the design of these new generation ships. Systems such as The Cube allow for rapid reconfiguration of missions such as switching from an anti-aircraft Corvette configuration (with one modularize NGDS on each side) to an OPV configuration with a single NGDS in the center or on the stern (or no decoy launcher at all). This therefore allows a ship to be reassigned to a different mission very quickly.
Another advantage is maintenance: taking the NGDS out of the ship via The Cube system allows the ship not to be immobilized during repair or maintenance. This therefore increases the availability of the ship.
Examples the “Arctic Frigate” pitched by OSK Design to the Royal Danish Navy as a replacement for the Thetis class patrol vessels. Note the single NGDS module (via The Cube system) fitted amidship, on the upper deck:
