Unmanned Surface Vehicles
Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
Thales has announced the delivery of a surface naval drone, equipped with a TSAM towed sonar and the SAMDIS multi-view sonar, to the French Navy.
This delivery is a key part of the Franco-British Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) programme, which is managed by OCCAR with support from the French Direction générale de l’armement (DGA) and the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
This follows an initial production system delivered in December 2024, which included the Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), the TSAM towed sonar, data analysis software using Artificial Intelligence (AI), MiMap, and the M-Cube mission management system.
The unmanned surface vessel is designed to significantly improve the operational performance of navies in mine countermeasures by minimising personnel exposure to hazardous environments. The system provides a sea mine detection rate of over 99%, intended to guarantee naval forces operational superiority against increasingly complex threats.
Thales, in close collaboration with the Couach shipyard, has been upgrading the initial surface drone prototypes which have been undergoing testing by both the French Navy and the Royal Navy since 2021. The upgrades demonstrate Thales’s expertise as a systems integrator, incorporating end user feedback and over 3,000 hours of sea trials to adapt the systems to fully meet operational needs.
The autonomous surface drone system delivered is described as a first-of-its-kind capability for maritime defence operations. It integrates a range of advanced technical and software innovations developed by Thales. These innovations include very high-performance sensors, notably the world’s unique “multi-view” SAMDIS antenna which optimises operational performance.
The system features a surface drone operated without a crew by the French Navy and is approved for sensitive operations, featuring a robust and cyber-resilient communication system to withstand threats. It also includes unique mission planning and sonar data analysis software designed to optimise the work and workload of operators.
Sébastien Guérémy, Vice-President in charge of the Underwater Systems activities at Thales, stated, “Thales is supporting the French Navy to meet the challenges of the transition towards a new operational concept for mine countermeasures. The autonomous system developed by Thales significantly improves mission efficiency while limiting the exposure of crews to mine-related risks.”
Guérémy added that the MMCM programme increases the operational superiority of naval forces, with its M-Cube software at core, designed for fast integration of heterogeneous drones, its high-performance sensors and innovative AI algorithms, reducing operators’ cognitive load. “This programme, a world first, is the result of unwavering commitment and a source of pride for our teams,” he concluded.
