A sea cat to hunt

ATLAS manufactures four drones for the minehunting boats

The German Navy receives "SeaCat" underwater reconnaissance drones for its Class 332 minehunters, financed from the special fund for the German Armed Forces.

Photo: Bw / Bannert

The President of the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, Annette Lehnigk-Emden (centre), the Managing Director of ATLAS Elektronik GmbH (left) and Gunnar Jürgensen (Head of Vessel Systems) today jointly signed the contract for the procurement of new underwater reconnaissance drones that meet the criterion of market availability. The contract partner, ATLAS Elektronik GmbH, will supply a total of four autonomous underwater reconnaissance drones and ensure their integration on the minehunting vessels. The contract also provides for the adaptation of the existing training and testing system. Additional drones can be ordered at short notice as a so-called call-off service if required.

This is no longer just about mine hunting as part of national and alliance defence. Above all, it is about the German Navy's ability to create a comprehensive underwater situation picture. The recent events in the Baltic Sea have made it clear how much this capability is needed in co-operation with other authorities and NATO partners. The inspector of the navy has recently emphasised several times how important an underwater situation picture is. Underwater reconnaissance is a key component, as the SeaCat can use high-resolution sonar (Synthetic Aperture Sonar - SAS) to search the seabed for potentially dangerous objects at depths of up to 300 metres. They have three times the area search performance of a Class 332 minehunter without the use of drones. The collected data is processed during the search. The drones are unarmed.

The Bundeswehr expects the first drone at the end of 2024, while the first minehunter is being prepared for integration at the same time. The four drones, the customised training and testing facility in Kiel, spare parts and various container modules should then be available to the troops by mid-2026.

Source: PM BAAINBw