Equipping navies with CAPTAS Variable-Depth Sonars: dominating the full spectrum of Anti-Submarine Warfare operations and missions

With submarines becoming stealthier and more widespread, navies need to maintain reliable detection and rapid response capabilities.

Modern submarines represent a significant strategic threat, capable of disrupting global supply chains and causing severe losses. Thales CAPTAS Variable Depth Sonars (VDS) enables early detection, allowing navies to respond effectively. By integrating this system across various vessel types, from frigates to smaller units, it becomes a critical asset in anti-submarine warfare operations.

Only the most advanced sonar can keep navies one step ahead of fast-evolving undersea threats

In recent years, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) has re-emerged as a major focus on the naval agenda. While the Cold War was a period of high tension, the rules of the game were clear for the small number of players involved. 

Two changes stand out: the ever-increasing number of submarines – now numbering in the hundreds and rising; and their global presence, with dozens of countries now operating them. 

The new technologies driving this 'submarine boom' have heightened and diversified the stakes. More streamlined designs and quieter propulsion systems encourage incursions into previously impenetrable zones. 

A single modern submarine has the potential to: paralyse key trade routes, disrupting global supply chains for essential goods such as food and medicine; destroy high-value naval assets, causing significant strategic and financial losses; and carry out stealth attacks along coastlines by delivering devastating land strikes.

Variable depth sonar: essential for countering the submarine threat

Each navy’s priorities and operating environment are different, but they all recognise that Variable-Depth Sonar (VDS) must be central to their planning.

Navies are faced with several decisions: they must ensure that submarines can be detected as early as possible – before they are in a position to strike; they must extend the reach of their operations beyond a small number of frigates, considering, for example, sonar options for smaller vessels; and as the resurgence of high-intensity conflicts in Europe stretches resources, they must ensure the best balance between performance, cost, and size.

Navies are strongly focused on upgrading their VDS capabilities. Leading players are adopting a holistic view of their systems, considering their VDS needs on frigates and smaller vessels. 

Thales is uniquely positioned to assist these navies in succeeding. It has long been a leader in delivering innovative Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) solutions tailored to the specific operational needs of its customers. The company’s approach is based on three key pillars

• Technological excellence
  Thales continuously improves its solutions through continuous R&D – investing around €1bn annually. This commitment ensures it remains at the forefront of ASW technology.
• Collaboration and interoperability
  Thales designs its systems to seamlessly integrate with existing naval platforms and operate collaboratively on NATO-led missions.
• Customer-centred support
  By offering tailored training, maintenance packages, and in-service support, Thales ensures its solutions deliver long-term operational value to its customers.

The CAPTAS sonar family seamlessly combines the needs of navies with Thales expertise

The CAPTAS family offers a range of low-frequency active and passive Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) capable of long-range 360° surveillance across the entire water column, without any gap. 

This capability is the result of more than 60 years of continuous technical and operational development carried out in close collaboration with leading navies. This collaboration focusses on feedback regarding both technologies and the user experience (UX) – with the specific aim of simplifying information for operators and freeing them to concentrate on their primary tasks. 

Additionally, all CAPTAS systems share the same technological pedigree, based on sea-proven common acoustic building blocks (transmission rings and the receiving towed array) as well as electronics and software modules. Improvements made to one of the systems benefit the entire family, ensuring the range maintains its technological edge.

In summary, the CAPTAS sonar family offers systems that cover the entire spectrum of anti-submarine warfare operations and missions. Its sonars meet the needs from compactness and affordability for smaller ships, up to very high performances for major ASW units and provides decisive acoustic and technical advantage in strategic zones like the North Atlantic and Mediterranean. 

With more than 100 CAPTAS VDS systems either on order or in service today and 17 user navies, the Captas family VDS is widely operated by navies worldwide, delivering unrivalled performance and reliability.