UDT 2017 Kongsberg Display
At UDT 2017, Kongsberg is displaying its latest sonar technologies specifically designed for littoral waters. “While submarines often lurk in littoral waters, navies will seldom send blue water ships such as frigates or destroyers to carry out recognition missions”, says Thomas Hostvedt Dahle, Director of Sales for Subsea and Naval Sonars a Kongsberg Maritime, “as such we have been working since 2013 to develop sonar technologies that can fit smaller ships, Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).”

The SD9500 is Kongsberg‘s latest such technology. A dipping sonar for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and volume survey in littoral waters, the SD9500 weighs 40kg and is equipped with a phased array that provides full control of all the transmitter and receiver channels. This gives full flexibility for beam steering vertically and horizontally and the ability to focus the transmitted pusle energy in the direction of interest or with full 360° coverage.

For Dahle, littoral water operations are best carried out using swarms of small vessels, on which one can place a small sonar. “We are therefore targeting littoral navies and coastguards in particular with this product, and we expect to deliver it by 2019, possibly earlier, to a littoral customer we cannot, however, disclose for confidentiality purposes”, concludes Dahle.