Thales has been awarded a contract to supply minesweeping equipment for the Republic of Korea Navy’s (ROKN) new Mine Sweeper Hunters.
The contract signed with ITT Corporation (now ITT Exelis) is for the supply of three ship sets of Advanced Acoustic Generators (AAGs) from Thales in Australia.These will be provided by ITT Exelis to GMB USA, which is the prime contractor for the ROKN’s Mine Sweeper Hunter (MSH) Combined Influence Sweep (CIS) project.
Jean Pellegrin, Thales Country Director South Korea, said: “The ROKN has committed to having the most advanced minesweeping technology, which is also in service with the Royal Australian Navy, the United States Navy, and two other navies.”
“As new mine-related threats emerge, it is vitally important to deploy cutting-edge systems that deliver innovative and flexible capabilities to friendly naval forces on operations. We are extremely proud to be a part of the ROKN’s capability in this area.”
Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia’s CEO, said: “This technology is the result of close cooperation withAustralia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO), as well as a long term investment todevelop innovative, specialised solutions at our facility in Sydney, Australia. We believe the AAG is wellsuited to the export market, and this contract reflects growing international interest in our minesweepingsystems.”
“This latest contract also further confirms the capability advantage and costcompetitiveness that can beprovided by Australian industry.”
The AAG is at the forefront of mine countermeasures technology. A water driven, turbine powered acoustic generator that emulates ship noise, it can be integrated with any sweep system. Originally developed by Thales Australia in conjunction with Adelaide-based SME Resonance Technology, and with the collaboration of DSTO, it meets a global need for sophisticated minesweeping products.
Thales in Australia manufactures and exports minesweeping products to navies throughout the world, and has established a significant design, manufacturing and production capability for these products.
Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transport markets. In 2011, the company generated revenues of €13 billion with 68,000 employees in 56 countries. With its 22,500 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers and local partners.
