HENSOLDT - Experts & Thought Leaders

Under a contract with the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency, the sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT will equip submarines of the Norwegian 'Ula' class with new periscopes and optronic mast systems. The contract value is more than EUR 40 million.  With the upgrade order, HENSOLDT is ensuring an extension of the service life of the boats, which are more than 30 years old.  First-class vision systems "HENSOLDT equipped all Ula-class boats in the late 1980s and early 1990s with optics that were state-of-the-art at the time. Three decades later, we are once again ensuring that Norwegian submarines are equipped with first-class vision systems," says Tanya Altmann, Division Manager Optronics & Land Solutions and Managing Director of HENSOLDT Optronics GmbH. "Equipped with the new optics and optronics, the Ula-class submarines will experience a massive increase in capability."

Sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT is equipping the German-Norwegian submarine project U212 CD with a fully digital sensor suite. The optronics division of HENSOLDT has received a corresponding order worth over 50 million euros from kta naval systems, a consortium of Kongsberg, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systeme, and Atlas Elektronik. Optronic mast and panoramic surveillance system The order comprises six optronic systems, consisting of an OMS 150 optronic mast system, an OMS 300, and an i360°OS panoramic surveillance system for each of the six submarines of the Norwegian and German navies. With the twin optronic mast solution, the clients opted for the technological leap from the conventional, traditional direct view of a periscope system to a completely hull-penetrating digital system solution. This combination provides submarines with sensor equipment thus improving the boats' ability to act and survive HENSOLDT Optronics Managing Director Andreas Hülle says, "This combination provides the new submarines with sensor equipment that combines the highest detection capabilities even in poor visibility with a high degree of automation, thus significantly improving the boats' ability to act and survive." Multispectral optronic equipment The combination of OMS 150 and OMS 300 is being commissioned for the first time for the U212 CD class. The OMS 150, in its multispectral version, will be used as a search and surveillance optronic mast. The OMS 300 stealth optronic mast takes over the so-called "attack" function. With the OMS 300, the developers at HENSOLDT have created an optronic mast that is difficult to detect visually and via radar, which significantly increases the safety of the crews. This multispectral optronic equipment provides the crew with the best visibility in all light and weather conditions, as well as a very wide range of operations. With this order from kta, HENSOLDT Optronics is further expanding its research and development in the field of optronic masts at the Oberkochen site.

Edge sensor technology developed by HENSOLDT will strengthen Frontex maritime surveillance in the Mediterranean Sea and contribute to the protection of Europe’s strategic south-eastern border. In the frame of a technology pilot programme, HENSOLDT’s ARGOS-II HD Electro-Optical Infrared (EOIR) system will be deployed on two tethered aerostats and deliver extensive security surveillance. Frontex maritime surveillance project The project is operated by Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, which has the mandate to safeguard the external borders of the European Union and ensure the freedom, and territorial integrity of member states. Andreas Huelle, Head of HENSOLDT’s Optronics Division, said “This innovative technology offers Frontex the ability to monitor a very strategic maritime coastline and collect critical data. This is a capability that has been identified as a strategic priority by both the EU and the United Nations.” ARGOS-II HD electro-optical infra-red system The ARGOS-II HD EOIR system forms part of an integrated turnkey solution The ARGOS-II HD EOIR system forms part of an integrated turnkey solution, which consists of advanced sensors that are fitted on two aerostats, provided by CNIM Air Space, tethered on Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Located at altitudes of several hundred metres above the host islands, the ARGOS-II HD electro-optical infra-red system covers a range of up to 40 kilometres and can detect both large and small vessels, and monitor activities with exceptional clarity and detail. High performance Maritime Surveillance sensor The ARGOS-II HD electro-optical infra-red system is in operation 24/7, day and night, even in inclement weather conditions. The continuous zoom thermal imaging camera records the images and transmits video, and data in real-time, to base stations on the ground. “Argos II is one of the best EOIR sensors in the market today and will provide Frontex with accurate, real-time information on activities in the maritime environment and enable it to analyse situations and initiate respective counter measures,” said Mischa Niedinger, Director of Airborne Systems - Sales at HENSOLDT. Fitted on fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, UAVs and aerostats The ARGOS-II HD system can be fitted onto fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and aerostats. It is used extensively in border protection, search and rescue operations, maritime patrols, law enforcement and asset protection. The system is already widely used in the security and surveillance environments, including by the German Federal Police where it is deployed in anti-smuggling, illegal trafficking, and border security operations.