CAPTAS-1: Revolutionising Anti-Submarine Warfare with Small Vessels for Modern Collaborative Defence

With submarines becoming stealthier and more widespread, navies ought to expand their detection capabilities with cost-effective solutions.

Smaller vessels are increasingly being equipped with sonar systems like CAPTAS-1, offering a cost-effective solution for navies to extend their anti-submarine capabilities. Compact yet powerful, CAPTAS-1 provides essential 360° surveillance and torpedo alerts, enabling navies to maintain security over vast maritime territories.

Smaller Vessels, Bigger Impact: CAPTAS-1 Revolutionises Anti-Submarine Warfare

At the height of the Cold War, only a handful of countries could claim to possess true submarine capabilities. However, with the end of that era, the old certainties regarding the scale and nature of the threat also disappeared. Established powers are reinforcing their submarine fleets, while emerging players are investing heavily in new units. For navies tasked with maintaining sovereign superiority the threat is twofold: ever-advancing technology, making submarines stealthier, more rapid and more dangerous, and their sheer number – it is estimated that 500 are currently in operation worldwide.

Driven by increased exploitation of both the oceans and seabed, along with stronger interconnectivity in global trade, there has been a substantial rise in commercial shipping, something vital to the economic stability of countries. However, this ‘shipping boom’ has not been without challenges. Territorial disputes have arisen in various regions and there have been increased submarine incursions into the maritime spaces of other nations. Today, a significant challenge for navies is how to tailor Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities to protect both their territorial waters and associated Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), which can extend across vast areas.

Smaller vessels: A cost-effective “sonar + vessel” option to expand and enhance detection capabilities

Navies have been proactive in countering this growing threat. Recognising that larger ASW vessels, such as frigates, are expensive and limited in number, major navies are opting to complement their ASW capabilities by equipping smaller ships with sonar. Similarly, smaller navies, seeking to expand their ASW capabilities, or establish them for the first time, are also turning to smaller vessels as a cost-effective ASW solution. These options include combat units such as small corvettes or missile patrol boats measuring 20-40 meters in length; ships not originally designed for high-intensity operations, and increasingly, unmanned surface vessels (USVs).

Navies are turning to Thales to help them achieve their objectives. With decades of experience, deep and broad expertise, and familiarity with a wide range of customers and platforms (16 standard and Mission Module versions of CAPTAS-1 system delivered and in production), Thales is well-positioned to offer solutions that meet the specific needs of individual navies. 

CAPTAS-1 – Offering performance, compactness and affordability for smaller platforms

The CAPTAS-1 Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) is an ideal match for these requirements. Equipped with a single ceramic ring, it is specifically designed to be an affordable system for smaller platforms. Drawing on many years of experience, particularly with its benchmark CAPTAS-4 unit, Thales has ensured that CAPTAS-1 offers technological superiority and high performance, while remaining compact and lightweight. Despite being the most compact solution for small boats, it is still a powerful deterrent sensor. 

The entire system, which includes a command and control module with signal and data processing and Human Machine Interface (HMI) new generation running on the sonar operator console, has a total weight of just nine tonnes. Designed for both adaptability and flexibility, it can easily be integrated into available on-board space (even on non-specialised vessels) or deployed in a containerised Mission Module format – fitting neatly into a 20-foot ISO-standard unit.

CAPTAS-1 offers navies simultaneous active and passive 360° surveillance and analysis, as well as a permanent, all-round torpedo alert. It can operate at optimal depths, overcoming the harsh propagation and surface-layer issues inherent to Hull-Mounted Sonars (HMS). Additionally, operating at low frequency with long pulses, it can be deployed in deeper waters. 

The system is not limited to standalone use – it can also be deployed in multistatic configurations. To facilitate this, CAPTAS-1 is fully interoperable with other VDSs in the CAPTAS family, as well as Thales’s HMS, FLASH dipping sonar and the SonoFlash sonobuoy.

But the story of CAPTAS-1 doesn’t end there. Innovation remains a priority at Thales as it continues to develop the next generations of the system, ensuring it maintains its technological edge. A future transition to full automation is planned, which will eliminate the need for human intervention during launch and recovery – thereby reducing safety risks to personnel and improving ease of use. Furthermore, ongoing work on automation and integration with maritime drones will address the growing emphasis that navies place on unmanned systems.

The net result? A flexible, high-performance, and affordable sonar that can be easily deployed on a range of smaller vessels, including USVs. Additionally, the system can cost-effectively complement larger ASW platforms or, thanks to its interoperability, be “teamed” with other sonar systems in multistatic operations.