Thales and Exail have been selected by the Direction Générale De L'Armement (DGA) to supply eight A18-M Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) to the Marine Nationale. The contract, which is part of the Marine Nationale's SLAMF mine warfare program, also includes an option for up to eight more AUVs.
The AUVs will integrate Thales' SAMDIS 600 sonar to provide mine countermeasure (MCM) capabilities. They will be based on an extended version of Exail's A18-M AUV. Through the contract, Exail is responsible for developing the AUV’s fully autonomous capabilities and integrating, closely with Thales, the SAMDIS sonar technology into the vehicles.
“Mine Countermeasures is among the first military fields to fully transition to third-generation MCM capabilities with autonomous, drone-based systems. This is the core mission of the SLAMF programme, and Exail, a specialist in naval drones, is proud to contribute with its extended version of the A18-M AUV”, said the CEO of Exail's Maritime Business Line, Jérome Bendell.
“This collaboration underscores our commitment to delivering cutting-edge technology that meets the highest standards of performance and safety for modern naval defence.”