Thales Provides ‘Eyes and Ears’ for Navy’s New Submarine

Thales, Employees at Thales’ UK are today celebrating the launch of the Royal Navy’s new submarine, HMS Astute. Thales has supplied the UAP4 electronic support measure (ESM) system, the 2076 submarine sonar system and the optronic masts for the Astute nuclear-powered attack submarines, of which Astute is the first to be launched. 
 
The Astute boats are going to be the biggest attack submarines and one of the most capable military assets in the Royal Navy. HMS Astute will undertake a range of tasks including intelligence gathering and anti-submarine warfare, supported by Thales UK’s technology. 
 
The optronic mast system was designed and built in Glasgow, and is the result of a 10-year, multi-million pound investment programme aimed at producing the next generation of submarine visual sensor systems. 
 
The optronic mast replaces conventional hull-penetrating optical periscope systems with a non-hull penetrating, electronic imaging system and uses an electronic link from high-resolution cameras in the sensor head to present the surface picture on console screens in the submarine’s operations centre. This gives significant operational benefits, improved ship and navigational safety and flexibility in the submarine’s design. 
 
The supply of the optronic mast for the new Astute-class submarines coincides with the company celebrating the 90th anniversary of supplying its first submarine periscope in 1917. Since then, the Glasgow site, once known as Barr & Stroud Ltd, has achieved the proud and unique record of being the sole supplier of all submarine periscopes to the Royal Navy. 
 
The Thales UK’s ESM system has two multi-function antenna arrays, which are mounted on the two optronics masts. These are designed to monitor a submarines radar environment, provide command and situational awareness of other radar equipped platforms operating in the area and enable a submarine to takes early evasive action if necessary. 
 
Sonar 2076 is currently the world’s most advanced submarine sonar system. Thales developed the sonar for the Royal Navy as part of the Swiftsure and Trafalgar class Final Phase Update and the system is now in operational service. A fully integrated, passive/active search and attack sonar, the 2076 is also fitted to the Astute-class submarines, and consists of a comprehensive suite of outboard arrays and an extensive inboard processing system. 
 
The processing cabinets are effectively a ‘super-computer’ equivalent to almost 1,000 Pentium III standard personal computers, this equates to around 10 times the data processing power of other sonar systems in the world today. The inboard equipment suite also provides the transmit cabinets, operator multi-function consoles and a comprehensive recording sub-system. 
 
As well as Astute, Sonar 2076 will also be fitted aboard her sister ships Ambush and Artful. The system also utilises the legacy sonar 2008 underwater telephone and sonar 2019 intercept pylon outboard arrays. 
 
Sonar 2076 continues its evolution over the coming years with the introduction of an upgraded processing capability based on mainstream commercial off the shelf equipment and open system architecture, that readily accommodates the integration of third party components while benefiting from significant cost reductions, space savings and increased processing power. 
 
This programme, known as 2076 Stage 5, has recently achieved a very successful critical design review and is on schedule to meet the needs of the Astute boat 4 programme and beyond, following initial roll-out within the Trafalgar-class programme. 
 
Alex Dorrian, Thales UK Chief Executive Officer, says: “Today is an important milestone in the Astute-class programme and Thales is proud to have played such a significant role. Across a number of our facilities around the country we have collectively provided a sophisticated set of sensor systems that provide the ‘eyes and ears’ of the submarine, giving it and unmatched warfighting capability.” 
 
Thales UK has worked closely with BAE Systems (the prime contractor) and with the MoD throughout the development and production phases of these programmes. Teams of Thales UK engineers are working with the BAE Systems shipbuilding organisation at Barrow-in-Furness on the installation, setting to work and system integration. 
 
 
Thales UK is a major electronics and systems group serving defence, aerospace, security and services markets. Thales employs 9,000 staff in the UK, based at more than 50 locations. In 2006 Thales UK's revenues were over £1 bn. 
 
Thales Group is a leading international electronics and systems group, serving defence, aerospace and security markets worldwide, supported by a comprehensive services offering. Thales employs 70,000 people in 50 countries and generated revenues of £7 bn in 2006, with a record order book of over £14 bn.