Thales has secured a contract from Naval Group to test a passive hull-mounted sonar designed for autonomous operation on an extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle (XL-UUV) demonstrator, according to a press release.
This contract is part of a project led by the French defence procurement agency (DGA) to develop an unmanned combat underwater vehicle demonstrator for testing purposes.
The passive omnidirectional hull-mounted sonar will include a cylindrical panoramic array and an internal unit housing the operating software.
This system aims to provide a comprehensive and accurate picture of the ocean surface environment, ensuring the safe ascent and surfacing of the underwater vehicle. Thales will collaborate with Naval Group to integrate the sonar solution on the ocean drone demonstrator.
“The passive omnidirectional hull-mounted sonar developed by Thales is a key component of the unmanned underwater vehicle’s acoustic detection system. Its autonomous detection, classification and location capabilities will rely on high-performance signal processing, data analytics and artificial intelligence functionalities,” said the firm.
So it will help to stop you from surfacing underneath a vessel.
T23 got an active pinger fitted (lepers bell) that transmits in exercises so that a sub can hear where they are. It was needed after some close calls when subs came very close to T23s because they simple could not hear them in the surface noise.