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2023-11-10

Thales to Bolster Polish Frigates with CMS, Sensor Suite

Thales has inked a contract with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) to deliver advanced combat management systems (CMS), sonars, fire control radars, and 360° infrared sensors to the MIECZNIK1 Frigate programme for the Polish Navy.

This agreement stems from the 2022 Strategic Cooperation Agreement between Thales, PGZ, and PGZ SW, bolstering the PGZ-MIECZNIK Consortium’s mission to deliver latest, multirole frigates.

These systems provide critical capabilities for detection, identification, command, control, and decision-making.

The first frigate is expected to be in service by 2029, as part of a strategic partnership with the PGZ-MIECZNIK Consortium, led by PGZ.

Designed to carry out a wide range of tasks at sea, including, among others, securing sea lines of communication and critical infrastructure, the frigates of the MIECZNIK class will considerably increase the capabilities of the Polish Navy and be an important contribution of the Republic of Poland within the North Atlantic Alliance.

These vessels will be equipped with a set of sensors developed by Thales and integrated with the warship’s combat system.

Central Command

TACTICOS by Thales is the central command and decision-making system for frigate combat. Its performance in sensor control, data compilation, situational assessment, action support, and weapon control is critical to naval vessel operations. With its certified openness and scalability, it is adaptable to various mission profiles and vessel types.

The MIECZNIK frigates will rely on a Thales sonar suite comprising the BlueHunter hull-mounted sonar and the Captas-2 towed-array sonar providing a multi-sensor assessment of the overall underwater situation.

BlueMaster and BlueHunter solutions share the same technological basis with sea-proven TAM-TAM acoustic transducers.

All Thales Hull Mounted Sonar products have identical electronic components and software modules, ensuring that improvements in one product benefit the entire family, keeping it state-of-the-art.

In a world where navies confront escalating and unforeseen threats, Anti-Submarine Warfare emerges as a pivotal 21st-century discipline. The CAPTAS product range provides the foremost solutions to guarantee naval effectiveness and safety at sea.

Furthermore, Thales will supply two highly complementary radars: the SM400 Block 2 and the NS50. The SM400 radar, a multifunction S-Band radar, is engineered to deliver concurrent long-range air and surface surveillance, helicopter control, and weapon control capabilities, with a range of up to 400 km.

Enhanced Protection

The NS50 radar, combined with the TSA 6000 IFF1 (Identification Friend or Foe) interrogator, enhances overall protection by delivering advanced capabilities in air and surface detection, tracking, and classification.

Additionally, the frigates will be equipped with ARTEMIS, a 360° naval infrared search and track system, along with the STIR 1.2 EO Mk2 fire control radar.

With the support of the UK Government and working together with Babcock and MBDA, Thales will put important learnings from the Type 31 programme in the UK into good use to reduce risk and ease the path to vessel acceptance.

The company will contribute to consolidate Poland’s local defence industry by working with the PGZ-MIECZNIK Consortium and other Polish industry actors.

“The contract provides a solid foundation for joint endeavour and the tremendous value that can be achieved through collaboration is a key aspect of strategic partnership. Therefore, a set of selected sensors and effectors will be integrated with TACTICOS CMS independently by PGZ thanks to the knowledge transfer from Thales,” explained Cezary Cierzan, Department of Maritime Technologies Director, PGZ.

“As one of our closest Allies, we continue to strengthen our partnership with Poland to help ensure European security. These new Polish frigates, equipped with some of the best of British industry behind them, will be a formidable addition to Poland’s fleet, bolstering NATO’s capabilities,” added James Cartlidge MP, Minister for Defence Procurement.

Alex Cresswell, Chief Executive Thales in the UK, termed it as a huge success for Thales, aided by the support of the British government.

Dirk Jan de Bruijn, Vice President, Above Water Systems, Thales, stated: “Our relationship with the Polish Navy dates back many years and we are proud that we have been selected for this major programme after two years of developing the solution with PGZ. We look forward to bringing Thales engineering and technology on board these ships and working with Polish industry to support the Polish Navy.”.

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