Minesweeping equipment sold to ROKN

The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) has selected Thales Australia’s innovative Advanced Acoustic Generator (AAG) as a component of its Mine Counter Measures (MCM) strategy.

At the cutting edge of mine countermeasures technology, the AAG a water driven, turbine powered acoustic generators that mimic ship noise.

Originally formulated by Thales in conjunction with an SME, Adelaide-based Resonance Technology, and with additional development under the DSTO’’s Capability and Technology Demonstrator  (CTD) Program, it meets a global need for more sophisticated minesweeping products.

Thales’s original CTD proposal addressed an existing capability gap for a high power, low frequency underwater acoustic generator able to sweep for mines targeting the acoustic signature of large naval ships like tankers and LHDs, as well as large high-value merchant vessels.

Six AAGs have already been sold to the United States Navy (USN), fulfilling a requirement for an acoustic generator able to produce underwater sound at high sound pressure levels and at low frequencies similar to those produced by large ships.

The ROKN contract, signed with ITT Exelis, is for supply of three AAG systems.

Improved mine countermeasures are particularly important at a time when some modern mines can differentiate between existing mine countermeasures and real ships.

With its unique attributes, the AAG adds to the capability to sweep modern mines targeted against large ships.

AAGs can also be integrated with other sweep systems.

”The AAG is typical of many CTD success stories – providing cost effective and flexible boosts in niche capabilities for relatively small investment,” Dr Alan Hinge, Director of the CTD Program, former naval officer and author, said.

”In this case, modern sea mines draw a completely disproportionate response from naval forces, tying up valuable resources, so better acoustic simulation of shipping is always a big plus”.

Given that the shallow and constricted waters around the Korean Peninsula are ideal for use of sea mines, particularly acoustically triggered bottom mines, it’s no surprise that the ROKN is interested in getting the best acoustic generators in the world,” Alan added.

Indeed, the use of only a few, simple contact mines off Wonsan during the Korean War some 60 years ago proved a major obstacle and cause of delay for the USN’.

Dr Hinge concluded that the recent sale of CTD Kestral ISR Vision System licenses to the US Army and Air Force, is another example of the success of the DSTO/CTD partnership with industry.

This resulting in the use and sale of Australia’s leading edge niche technologies - Kestrel is produced by Sentient Vision Systems Pty Ltd in Victoria which is an SME that grew from 2 to 17 employees during 2006-2012, largely as a result of products developed out of CTD work.