KINGKLIP Sonar at Heart of Improved Systems
Thales sonar expertise and support is helping both the Brazilian and Indonesian navies improve their capabilities in anti-submarine warfare, with the company’s KINGKLIP Mk 2 sonar lying at the heart of both programmes.
The KINGKLIP Mk2 is a medium-frequency active and passive hull-mounted sonar for multi-purpose corvettes and frigates. It provides permanent torpedo and underwater obstacle avoidance functionality and offers multi-static interoperability with Thales’ CAPTAS and FLASH sonars.
In Brazil, Thales subsidiary Omnisys recently obtained certification for the KINGKLIP as a Strategic Defence Product (PED) in an official endorsement of the decision to develop advanced sonar solutions in Brazil. The KINGKLIP sonar delivers exceptional performance and is the ideal response to the requirements of the TAMANDARÉ programme. Thales and Omnisys are investing over R$20 million (€5 million) in local production of transducers, making Omnisys the first company to build an industrial infrastructure to manufacture sonar equipment in Brazil.
Also this year, Thales reached another milestone with the Indonesian Navy, with the successful installation and integration of the KINGKLIP hull-mounted sonar on the DIPONEGORO-class corvette. Thales has provided combat systems to help the Indonesian Navy to sustain their capabilities for over 40 years: KINGKLIP will further enhance the navy’s ability to meet national defence requirements. The sonar upgrade follows a repair of the corvette, which was damaged in an accident during a routine sea operation in January 2015.
Thales worked closely with local industrial partner PT Dharma Satya Nusantara (DSN) on system repair, reinforcing its commitment to long-term relationships with local industry partners, through-life support and the transfer of knowledge and expertise.
Thales has provided more than 150 hull-mounted sonars to over 20 navies since 1975. In 2017, the KINGKLIP was selected by the French Navy to equip its LA FAYETTE frigates and the next-generation intermediate frigates being developed under the FTI programme.
