Synthetic Aperture Sonar
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Thales, which operates across Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital technologies, and HII, an all-domain defense provider, have successfully integrated and field-tested the Thales SAMDIS 600 sonar with HII’s REMUS 620 Medium UUV.
The integration advances autonomous mine countermeasures and undersea security, while demonstrating the seamless compatibility of Thales multi-aspect synthetic aperture SAMDIS 600 sonar with HII’s highly modular, long-endurance REMUS 620 UUV.
The SAMDIS 600 system provides ultra-high-resolution synthetic aperture sonar imagery and incorporates a multi-view function, offering three perspectives of the same contact in a single pass. This capability is intended to improve seabed object classification and reduce false alarms, which can shorten mission times and lower operational risks. The REMUS 620, meanwhile, is a modular, medium-class UUV designed for long endurance missions and rapid payload integration. It can be deployed independently or in conjunction with crewed platforms and is already in service with several NATO and allied navies.
Together, the systems deliver advanced autonomous mine detection, classification, and imaging, offering naval forces and partners around the world enhanced capability for undersea security, mine countermeasures, and subsea infrastructure monitoring.
Duane Fotheringham, President of Mission Technologies’ Unmanned Systems business group, said, “Teaming the Thales’ advanced SAMDIS 600 sensor in the REMUS 620 underscores the power of collaboration in driving innovation for our customers. This milestone demonstrates not only the adaptability of the REMUS 620 but also the strength of industry partnerships in delivering next-generation, interoperable solutions that enhance undersea dominance for NATO and allied forces.”
The exercise, completed at the end of August at the HII Pocasset facility (Massachusetts, USA), marks a milestone in advancing autonomous undersea mine countermeasure capabilities.
Paul Armstrong, Managing Director, Underwater Systems, Thales in the UK, added, “SAMDIS empowers missions with enhanced efficiency and effectiveness, serving as a crucial enabler for precise acoustic identification through its multi-aspect and high-resolution SAS capabilities. This achievement is the result of a strong working relationship with HII, demonstrating the strength of industry collaboration in delivering advanced solutions for the benefit of our users’ missions.“
HII and Thales’ collaboration builds on decades of leadership in unmanned and underwater systems. Thales is the world’s leading exporter of naval sonar systems, while HII’s REMUS UUV family has become the benchmark for modular, reliable, and mission-ready autonomous undersea vehicles.
