Sea Tigers to fly with SOVERON
SOVERON software-defined radio equipment. (Photo: Rohde & Schwarz)
New shipborne helicopters for the German Navy will be equipped with software-defined radios.
The 31 new NH90 Multi Role Frigate Helicopters being procured for German Navy vessels will feature SOVERON software-defined radios (SDRs) from Rohde & Schwarz.
The SOVERON SDRs use NATO-standard ‘state-of-the-art communications algorithms’ for naval applications, the German company noted in a 25 January announcement.
The helicopters will be known as Sea Tigers once they enter German Navy service from 2025 to replace Sea Lynx Mk 88As. Each one will be equipped with three VHF/UHF transceivers plus spares.
‘The transceiver's interfaces allow external devices or an external encryption device to be connected and guards the naval distress frequency, thereby remaining future-proof,’ Rohde & Schwarz added.
In November 2020, the NATO Helicopter Management Agency, acting on behalf of German defence procurement agency BAAINBw, formally ordered the 31 helicopters for German shipborne anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations.
No financial details were disclosed about the deal, although Shephard Defence Insight estimates a unit cost of $63 million, giving an overall cost of about $2 billion.
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