France's Thales Unveils ASW Sonars to Turn Patrol Ships and Drones Into Submarine Hunters

Thales introduced three linked anti-submarine-warfare products at Euronaval on November 3: expanded M-Cube mission software, a Lightweight Dipping Sonar and the CAPTAS-4 Mission Module. The concept connects crewed ships, helicopters and uncrewed systems through a common environment for planning, tasking and supervising distributed maritime missions. The new dipping sonar targets lightweight and uncrewed platforms, while the cross-deckable CAPTAS-4 package provides a modular variable-depth sonar installation for ships without a permanent dedicated fit. Thales presented the equipment as elements of a hybrid fleet architecture but did not disclose detailed specifications, launch customers or delivery schedules for the new products.