Atlas Elektronik to upgrade German minehunters
Frankenthal-class minehunter M1069 Homburg. (Photo: Bundeswehr)
Atlas Elektronik will equip Germany’s Frankenthal-class (Type 332) minehunters with the latest Integrated Mine Countermeasures System (IMCMS) between 2022 and 2025.
The German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has awarded Atlas Elektronik a €44 million (£37 million) contract to upgrade the German Navy’s Frankenthal-class minehunters.
Under the plans, Atlas Elektronik will equip five vessels, Dillingen, Homburg, Sulzbach-Rosenberg, Fulda and Weilhelm, with the latest IMCMS.
BAAINBw’s project manager for the upgrade said the retrofitting the five ships with the latest generation of IMCMS was the next step towards standardising the technology used for combating sea mines.
IMCMS is a multi-role mine countermeasure system that covers minesweeping, mine hunting and minelaying. The system also supports hydrographic and environmental assessments, as well as surface and aerial surveillance.
In December 2016, Atlas Elektronik received a contract to modernise three Frankenthal-class ships worth €78.5 million. Under that contract, the vessels were equipped with the IMCMS and SeaFox mine disposal vehicle.
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