As uncrewed naval systems advance, capabilities to counter them are emerging
Research programmes and system procurement efforts to counter uncrewed surface and underwater vehicle threats are accelerating as naval drone uptake spreads.
Leonardo details Congo port security award
The port of Pointe Noire, Republic of Congo, will be secured by a Leonardo-Finmeccanica integrated maritime system under a contract announced on 18 November.
The €150 million contract was issued by the Congolese government to the Italian Alliance for Ports (IA4P), which is led by Leonardo-Finmeccanica; the company’s portion of the contract equals around €30 million.
Leonardo will provide systems for both maritime and land-based security which will employ radar and electro-optical sensors, communications systems, logistics management and port operations systems.
The wider agreement includes civil work including the construction of new docks for a total length of 700m as well as further engineering and design work and project management.
The contract is part of an agreement between the Italian and Republic of Congo governments which involves the development of a ‘multi-modal’ integrated transport system in the Congo basin covering river, sea and rail transport.
A second phase of the project will extend the maritime surveillance at Pointe Noire to cover the Republic of Congo’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) via an integrated system that will include radar sensors and a secure telecommunications network.
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