News

2021-07-05

Elettronica to Equip Italian Submarines with EW Suite

Elettronica has signed a contract to equip the Italian Navy’s Near Future Submarines (NFS) with Electronic Warfare (EW) suite.

The deal comes under the framework of the U212 NFS Programme managed by OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement).

The contract includes the provision of two suites for the first batch of platforms and two supplementary systems as an option for future batches.

The EW Suite designed for the Italian submarines represents the most technologically advanced and innovative answer to those needs in the underwater domain.

Elettronica is already a supplier of the Electronic Warfare equipment in the framework of some other programmes managed by OCCAR and aims to extend the cooperation to European Union co-funded projects.

Global conflicts are currently dominated by the ones reaching to advance the electronic supremacy of the battlefield. It has reached a stage where no mission can be successfully accomplished without prior knowledge of the electronic Order of Battle. The Electromagnetic Spectrum Operation (EMSO) is a key enabler for many diversified operations.

In the Underwater Domain, EMS Management and Superiority support the submarine’s capability to operate without influencing the scenario directly.

The typical mission profile of a stealth platform like a submarine couldn’t be performed without implementing effective Self-Protection capabilities needed to enhance the survivability in very high-risk areas.

Through a very high level of functional integration, the Suite being offered by Elettronica is capable of performing self-protection, surveillance and intelligence tasks granting excellent performances on the whole electromagnetic spectrum, from communication to radar bands.

It integrates the experience gained by Elettronica both in the specific submarine area products and in naval programmes as the latest “Legge Navale” of the Italian Navy, combining maturity with innovation.

The Suite has an integrated RESM/CESM antenna – a result of more than two years of studies and simulations – that represents the most advanced product of its kind in the market, also for its compact sizes and stealthness capabilities.

Two further antennas are also part of the system, the first with surveillance and detection tasks in the radar band, the later as a warning antenna.

High-Level Digitalisation

The U212 NFS EW Suite contracted by the Italian Navy implements enabling technologies granting a very high level of digitalisation that allows great performances in a dense and complex electromagnetic environment, where most of the EW Suites in the market would be quickly saturated.

It relies on a Software-defined architecture, strongly reducing the HW component for a significant improvement of the operational availability, while granting easier maintenance and faster updates.

The EW Suite will be provided with an Electronic Warfare Management Unit able to collect and manage in an integrated way the information coming from both Radar and Communications EW Sensors enabling an enhanced tactical and strategic awareness of the EW scenario that is essential to support Self-Protection, Surveillance and Intelligence operations.

Domitilla Benigni, COO & CEO of Elettronica, elaborated: “We are proud to equip the Italian Navy U212 NFS Submarines, a high profile and performance asset encompassing the excellences of the National Industry for the benefit of the Italian Navy and its operational readiness. We are proud to enrich the versatility of this platform through an EW Suite representing the ideal combination of experience, maturity and innovation, offering high performances on the entire communications and radar bands, while ensuring excellent self-protection capabilities and wide Intelligence information gathering.”

U212NFS Programme

The project is an evolution of the U212A programme carried out in cooperation with the German thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, which resulted in the production of four submarines for Italy – “Todaro”, “Scirè”, “Venuti” and “Romei”, delivered by Fincantieri between 2006 and 2017 – and six for Germany.

According to highly reliable analyses, the technological content of these air-independent propulsion submarines determined the shift in the balance between nuclear and conventional vessels in the post-war period.

With the first two deliveries scheduled for 2027 and 2029, the U212NFS programme stems from the need to secure adequate underwater spatial surveillance and control capacity, considering the future complex scenarios of underwater operations and the operational lifetime of the four “Sauro” class submarines, currently in service, is drawing near.

It also aims at further developing Fincantieri’s acquired strategic and innovative industrial know-how, as well as consolidating the technological lead attained by the company and its supply chain, enhancing the presence of technologically-advanced component parts developed by Italian industries on board.

Elettronica has been at the forefront of Electronic Warfare for 70 years, supplying over 3,000 high-tech systems to the armed forces and governments of 30 countries.

Comments () Views (11223 ) Print

Send To Friend