Naval News took the opportunity of the event to sit down with Lacroix’s Jean-Marie Pascal, senior business development manager for Asia Pacific.
Naval News – Which Australian Navy programs do you have in sight at the moment ?
Jean-Marie Pascal, Lacroix – There are always room left to add new capabilities when your ASW/AAW threats environment is evolving rapidly. Decision makers in charge are concern to have the “decisive capabilities” in hands taking into account “value/for money factor”, and within the limits of not using “obsolete” technologies. That why during PACIFIC 2019, we will mainly demonstrate our cutting-edge, compact SYLENA MK2 decoy launching system, and dedicated decoys which ensures additional and unique features to reach a “global superior self-protection” of your valuable platforms.
As you know, the SEACLAD® decoys range of munitions provides protection against old and emerging missiles, ..and torpedoes (chaff discriminators, millimetric wave, infrared bi-color seekers, supersonic missiles, modern torpedoes, etc.) .
By choosing SYLENA DLS and its various configurations, you have the possibility to benefits system’s modularity, but also SEACLAD® deoys rounds interoperability / interchangeability, whatever the SYLENA configuration onboard for ship protection of all types (OPV, Corvettes, Frigates..).
Naval News – The NULKA decoy system was designed and is being produced in Australia. What would SYLENA and Lacroix decoys bring compared to, or in addition to the NULKA system ?
Jean-Marie Pascal, Lacroix – One of the key drivers is that SYLENA® / SEACLAD® decoys solutions is offering a “second layer protection” with centroid seduction tactics for ship protection of all types (OPV, Corvettes, Frigates). It is offering full compatibility with hard kill and active soft kill (Nulka), due to limited decoy area that strongly limits interference with other ship systems (radar clutter etc).
When combined with Nulka on FFH and DDG classes, for example, LACROIX provides additional enhanced efficiency in the close vicinity of the ship, thanks to a large panel of naval countermeasures such as ;
- Morphologic Infrared (IIR) SEALIR® ,
- Corner Reflectors (Radiofrequency), SEALEM® ,
- Anti-Submarine Warfare, SEALAT® ,
- or SEAMOSC® against laser-guided threats to name a few decoys configuration tactics which are all “In service”.
Naval News – You mentioned SEA 5000 (Frigate) and SEA 1180 (OPV) programs, but what about the important SEA 1000 program ?
Jean-Marie Pascal, Lacroix – LACROIX is the French OEM manufacturer of submarine signals for Marine National’s submarines. As far as we know, very few manufacturers worldwide have the capability to master submarine signals design and industrial manufacturing.. ..less thank fingers in one hand !
For sure, we remains ready to supply LACROIX submarine signals to SEA 1000 program upon request of the Project Prime Contractor for the benefits of RAN.
Naval News – Should the Australian Navy select some of your solution, would Lacroix be ready to set up operations in Australia ?
Jean-Marie Pascal, Lacroix – Yes, LACROIX is learning and investigating each business opportunity, especially on export project from Australia to the region and elsewhere, and more specifically with AUSTAL shipyard Australia today for an export program of 6 OPVS.
First of all, we recognize Australian Talents and skilled workforce , and yes, we are eager to deepen our relationships with Australian Defense Industry. Today we are looking for agile smart and sharp SME’s nearby Australian Defense Industry hubs to investigate the possibility to manufacture most of the parts of our SYLENA decoy launcher systems to serve export End-users, and upon request, Australian Armed forces requirements too.
Having said so, we have already some business activities in Australia, for example, via ENERGETICS Technology Ltd , a UK’s subsidiary of Etienne LACROIX group which tests and produces anti-blast protection solutions, as well as blast resistant containers and reinforced transport solutions for police, armed forces, crisis response and demining teams.
Furthermore, you know that LACROIX is cautiously pragmatic ! and we are doing things “step by step”. Today we are looking for long term and resilient partnership, and sizeable volume of projects will shall be the prerequisite before setting up operations in Australia, and participate, as a new player, into the Australian Defense Industry’s supply chain.
