Mine's A Double! Thales And Exail Team Up To Supply French Navy With AUVs
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Procurement agency DGA has chosen a system jointly produced by Thales and Exail to equip the French Navy’s SLAMF Mine Countermeasures (MCM) programme.
The DGA has ordered at least eight — and potentially up to 16 — extended variants of Exail's A18-M Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV). Each will carry Thales’ new compact SAMDIS sonar, which has been optimised for the detection of naval mines.
The acquisition is part of the French Navy's SLAMF programme to modernise its mine warfare capabilities with a switch in focus to the extensive deployment of uncrewed systems.
As per recent press statements from the firms involved, Exail will take responsibility for developing the AUV’s fully autonomous capabilities and integrating the SAMDIS sonar technology. Thales’ SAMDIS sonar system works equally well in shallow and deep water and features a multi-view capability, meaning it can capture images of potential threats from multiple angles in a single pass. The system comes integrated with MiMAP data analysis software and AI-driven algorithms.
Jérome Bendell, CEO of Exail Maritime Business Line, commented: "Mine countermeasures is among the first military fields to fully transition to third-generation MCM capabilities with autonomous, drone-based systems. This is the core mission of the SLAMF programme, and Exail, a specialist in naval drones, is proud to contribute with its extended version of the A18-M AUV.”
Gwendoline Blandin-Roger, VP Underwater Systems Business Line, Thales, said: "The proliferation of sea mines and their sophistication make data collection and advanced analysis all the more necessary to counter these terrible threats. Today, autonomous mine countermeasures systems offer greater efficiency, while protecting crews from the dangers of minefields." She added: "Thales is proud to help operators in their decision-making.”