Damen picks Thales mission system and combat management system for MKS 180
Thales will provide Tacticos and Above Water Warfare System
Thales is to supply and fully integrate the mission and combat system for the four new MKS 180 multipurpose combat ships to be operated by the German Navy, under a €1.5 billion ($1.78 billion) deal with prime contractor Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding.
In one of the largest contracts ever won by Thales, the company will provide its Tacticos combat management system and Above Water Warfare System fire control cluster, plus logistic support and test and training at shore-based sites, for the four baseline MKS 180 vessels plus up to two optional extra ships.
‘Underpinning this contract is the proven cooperation of German and Dutch naval industries, including numerous joint opportunities for Damen and Thales in the Netherlands to innovate within naval shipbuilding projects, often with the participation of the Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence,’ Thales noted in an 18 November statement.
The company will execute the contract at its naval centres of excellence at Hengelo (in the Netherlands), as well as Kiel and Wilhelmshaven (in Germany), ‘in cooperation with a substantial number of German subcontractors’, it added.
Thales and Damen are already closely aligned on the MKS 180 programme. In June 2020, the German MoD chose the Dutch shipyard as prime contractor, with Thales Netherlands selected to provide radars and other sensors.
The first-in-class MKS 180 vessel is planned to enter service in 2028. According to Shephard Defence Insight, the cost of the programme is likely to spiral from an initial €3.5 billion to €6 billion.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
MKS 180 Programme (1-4) [Germany]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
You may also like
More from Naval Warfare
-
![France and Sweden sign defence roadmap as Naval Group positions FDI frigate for Swedish surface ship programme]()
France and Sweden sign defence roadmap as Naval Group positions FDI frigate for Swedish surface ship programme
A pact signed at the Paris Air Show has seen Sweden turn to the French FDI frigate to lead its next-gen surface combatant fleet amid shifting security dynamics in the Baltic Sea.
-
![US Navy moves quickly with uncrewed vessels and industry follows]()
US Navy moves quickly with uncrewed vessels and industry follows
The US Navy (USN) is evolving into a hybrid fleet with uncrewed systems supporting crewed vessels and companies working to provide new solutions. In the case of Ocean Aero, its Triton uncrewed surface vessel can also be used underwater.
-
![US to review AUKUS submarine partnership]()
US to review AUKUS submarine partnership
The Australia, UK and US (AUKUS) trilateral agreement consists of two pillars. The first pillar involves Australia’s procurement of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) and the second pillar involves bring defence industry and research bases closer together through high-technology development programmes. It is the former which is under re-evaluation.
-
![South Korea pushes forward on unmanned surface vessel development for future fleet]()
South Korea pushes forward on unmanned surface vessel development for future fleet
South Korean industry continues to evolve unmanned surface vessels as the ROK Navy targets future force needs and addresses manpower challenges.
-
![How the US Government plans to put the US Navy’s shipbuilding programmes back on track]()
How the US Government plans to put the US Navy’s shipbuilding programmes back on track
In an attempt to reduce delays in shipbuilding efforts, the US government, lawmakers and the Navy are betting big on further investments in the national defence industry and public shipyards. Reviewing and reformulating ongoing initiatives and business practices will also be form part of the effort.
-
![Canadian Coast Guard OOSV Naalak Nappaaluk enters sea testing phase]()
Canadian Coast Guard OOSV Naalak Nappaaluk enters sea testing phase
Trials in North Vancouver with the Coast Guard’s largest science-dedicated vessel will involve full-scale exercises to evaluate systems’ integrations and performance.
