Thales Successfully Delivers the First CAPTAS-4 Sonar for the US Navy
The first CAPTAS-4 variable-depth sonar transmitter has been delivered to the U.S. Navy's Constellation Frigate Program (FFG-62) ahead of schedule. This delivery demonstrates Thales' effectiveness as a trusted partner to worldwide navies. The U.S. Navy will benefit from the demonstrated reliability and performance of the CAPTAS-4, the undisputed market leader in underwater variable-depth active systems.
AAC delivered the system on Oct. 12, 2023, ahead of contractual milestones while under very aggressive time constraints. Thales' unrivaled sonar technology was chosen by Fincantieri Marinette Marine in agreement with the U.S. Navy to equip its new frigates. In addition to the two systems already ordered to date, up to eight additional CAPTAS-4 transmitter assemblies could be supplied under the current contract. In this perspective, in April, AAC will complete construction on a new CAPTAS production facility located at their current site near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where final assembly, integration, and acceptance testing will occur for shipsets two through 10.
Thales has more than 50 years of experience in underwater warfare and is the world's leading sonar exporter. The CAPTAS family comprises a series of low-frequency variable-immersion sonars dedicated to anti-submarine warfare. The CAPTAS-4, which was delivered to the U.S. Navy, is the most powerful part of the CAPTAS family. It has been tested under a wide range of operational conditions, for instance, by the French, British, and Italian navies, and its technical maturity and performance are recognized the world over.
In 2020, 2021, and 2022, several French multi-mission frigates equipped with the CAPTAS-4 system won the prestigious Hook'Em Award, the American prize for excellence awarded to the best crew performance in the field of anti-submarine warfare, during coalition exercises in the 6th Fleet area of operations. Thales was singled out and recognized for the excellence of its know-how and for the ability of its sonar systems to detect, locate, classify, and pursue increasingly stealthy and silent threats under the sea.
