The information surfaced last week during conference call between Thales and several media outlets about the latest contract award for the SLAMF/MMCM program.
As we recently reported, the A27 Espadon UUV was used for the demonstration phase of SLAMF/MMCM. The exact type of AUV that will be procured for the program still needs to be formally confirmed as it was just turned down by the Royal Navy. Details of this initially surfaced in an “information report” on the ten years of the Lancaster House agreements by two French MPs. You may read more about this, including the likely reasons why the A27 was turned down by the Royal Navy at this link.
During the conference call on 27 November, Naval News asked Alexis Morel, Vice President – General manager, Underwater Systems business line at Thales, whether one of the solution being considered by Thales is the integration of the SAMDIS sonar aboard ECA Group’s new A18M UUV or if this is not technically feasible. Morel replied “it is technically feasible and it is one of the solutions that we are studying”. Alexis Morel could not comment on the other solutions being studied.
A18M UUV
A18M is ECA Group’s latest generation of mid-size UUV and is one generation ahead of the A27 used for the demonstration phase of SLAMF/MMCM. The A18M was already selected by the Belgian Navy and Royal Netherlands Navy for the rMCM program and by the Latvian Naval Forces for the upgrade of existing minehunters. In addition, the A18M is much smaller and lighter compared to the A27 UUV.
SAMDIS
SAMDIS, is Thales’ latest-generation high-resolution synthetic aperture sonar. With its multi-aspect functionality, the SAMDIS sonar views targets from three different angles. According to the French defense company, only Thales’s multi-aspect technology is capable of delivering high detection and classification performance against modern mines. Thales recently announced that it won a contract for the delivery of SAMDIS sonar systems for the JMSDF’s OZZ-5 UUV. SAMDIS technology has also been selected for two export program in Asia.
Specific French Navy need for “stealthy mine warfare”
As we previously reported, based on several French and British sources, the Royal Navy found the A27 AUV as being too large and heavy (at 1 ton) since the early stages of the program. Reason for which, the service last summer issued a pre-contract information notice (PIN), in order to procure three UUV to conduct mine warfare missions from USV.
But the requirement for a larger UUV appear to have come from French Navy requirements:
“The role of the surface drone as an ‘underwater drone taxicab’ is a function that the Belgians requested and which answers a Belgian need but which does not answer the French need. The underwater drone [ed. note: for SLAMF program] is used for long transits, for amphibious operations. As a consequence, France and the UK would like to have a drone with long endurance, with a lot of reach to be able to reach very discreetly a theater of operation. Nowadays if you have a small boat with a nice acoustic and electromagnetic signature, you are not very stealthy. The Belgians are interested in this cab function, France is not interested in it. That is why we need for France an [underwater] drone with very long endurance.”
Alexis Morel, Vice President – General manager, Underwater Systems business line at Thales
Morel added that Thales’s role will be to integrate the future UUV in the global SLAMF and MMCM system no matter what the French and Royal Navy end up selecting for their UUV solution. Naval News understands that the French Navy and Royal Navy may end up with different UUVs. The final decision of each navy should be announced in 2021.
MMCM / SLAMF in details
With the recent contract award, Thales will launch the production of the SLAMF (Système de lutte anti-mines futur) / MMCM (Maritime Mine Counter Measures) program, under Phase 2. Phase 1 initiated in 2015 was to demonstrate and qualify the technology. The SLAMF / MMCM mine warfare system will allow French and British sailors to operate remotely and stay out of the mine field through the use of unmanned systems.
Here is in details what Thales, together with its main partners (ECA Group, L3Harris and Saab) is set to deliver to each navy from 2022:
Royal Navy :
- 3 new Primary System, made up of :
- 1 Portable Operation Center (POC) by Thales including Mission Management System and Mi-MAP software for post mission analysis
- 1 Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) by L3Harris ASV & Thales
- 1 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), the Multi-Shot Mine Neutralization System by Saab, to identify and neutralize sea mines
- 1 Towed Sonar (the TSAM by Thales), to detect, classify and locate (DCL functions) the mines
- 1 upgraded demonstrator Primary system, made up of
- 1 Portable Operation Center (POC) by Thales including Mission Management System and Mi-MAP software for post mission analysis
- 1 Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) by L3Harris ASV & Thales
- 1 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), the Multi-Shot Mine Neutralization System by Saab, to identify and neutralize sea mines
- 1 Towed Sonar (the TSAM by Thales), to detect, classify and locate (DCL functions) the mines
- Note : the 3 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), the Espadon (A27) by ECA Group with Thales SAMDIS payload are not upgraded. A new AUV will be selected for the production phase
Marine Nationale :
- 3 new Primary System, made up of :
- 2 Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) by L3Harris ASV & Thales
- 1 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), the Multi-Shot Mine Neutralization System by Saab, to identify and neutralize sea mines
- 1 Towed Sonar (the TSAM by Thales), to detect, classify and locate (DCL functions) the mines
- 1 new Shore Operation Center (SOC) by Thales including Mission Management System and Mi-MAP software for post mission analysis
- 1 Training Center by Thales
- 1 upgraded demonstrator Primary system, made up of
- 1 Portable Operation Center (POC) by Thales including Mission Management System and Mi-MAP software for post mission analysis
- 1 Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) by L3Harris ASV & Thales
- 1 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), the Multi-Shot Mine Neutralization System by Saab, to identify and neutralize sea mines
- 1 Towed Sonar (the TSAM by Thales), to detect, classify and locate (DCL functions) the mines
- 3 Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV), the Espadon (A27) by ECA Group with Thales SAMDIS payload.
What about the SLAMF / MMCM Motherships ?
In addition to eight Unmanned systems (details above) including 4 to be delivered by 2024, the French SLAMF program consists in:
- 6x motherships for UAV/USV/UUV known as “bâtiments de guerre des mines” (BGDM)
- 5x EOD divers support vessels known as “bâtiments base plongeurs démineurs nouvelle generation” (BBPD NG)
- 1x Mine Warfare Data Operating System (SEDGM).Mine Warfare Data Operating System (SEDGM).
During the Forum Innovation Defense organized this week by France’s DGA, the first “previews” of the BGDM mothership were shown in a video about the SLAMF program (pictures above). Whether this is the final design of the vessel remains to be seen. It seems unlikely because the vessel appears to be very basic, similar to an offshore supply vessel. According to French blogger Fauteuil de Colbert, this could actually be representative of the BBPD NG.
On the British side, information came out this week that the new Type 32 will serve as mothership for unmanned systems.
