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.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
![Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?]()
Five years on: where could opportunities emerge next for AUKUS Pillar II?
Payload commonality, combat systems and electronic warfare are emerging as likely priorities as the trilateral partnership balances building submarines with sharing industrial ecosystems.
-
![Singapore expands maritime presence with future-ready Sentinel OPV]()
Singapore expands maritime presence with future-ready Sentinel OPV
Singapore is building space for uncrewed systems and future technologies into its new Sentinel-class OPVs, reflecting a wider move towards adaptable vessels capable of maintaining persistent maritime presence.
-
![From the Baltic to the Gulf: where USV procurement is heading next]()
From the Baltic to the Gulf: where USV procurement is heading next
Saildrone’s new Copenhagen base is one sign of a larger shift, as navies globally turn to uncrewed vessels for surveillance and mine clearance.
-
![Israeli Navy looks to expand as war reshapes future force requirements]()
Israeli Navy looks to expand as war reshapes future force requirements
Israel’s navy is preparing for a larger and more technically diverse role, but its ambitions could be impacted by supply chain restrictions, accelerating demand for domestic naval production as well as autonomous maritime capabilities.
-
![Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage]()
Quantum sensing gathers pace as navies eye undersea advantage
As AI dominates defence conversations, industry increasingly points to quantum sensing as the technology set to change submarine and uncrewed underwater vehicle operations.
