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The global maritime technology company has demonstrated the effectiveness of its mine countermeasure offering leveraged by a European navy.
ECA Group’s Mine Countermeasures Modernisation (MCM) technology has completed the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) process with the Latvian Navy, demonstrating the capability of its command and control (CC) system and its Mine Identification and Disposal systems (MIDS).
The technologies are set to be integrated onto Latvia’s Tripartite Class Mine Hunter vessels (IMANTA Class), equipping the ships with a drone solution designed to be fitted during modernisation programs of previous generation Mine Hunters.
In 2020, ECA Group was tasked with modernising the MCM capacity of the three Latvian MCM vessels, replacing legacy mine warfare systems with a new command and control system and a full set of drones.
The technologies include the A18-M AUV fitted with ECA Group’s UMISAS Sonar, the SEASCAN mine identification vehicle, and the K-STER mine disposal system.
ECA Group has also been tasked with overseeing ship modifications and upgrades of the navigation system.
The features of the navigation system include:
- a W-ECDIS warship electronic chart display and information system;
- Gaps M7 USBL positioning system and Phins C7 compact Inertial Navigation System by iXblue; and
- a new Autopilot by SIREHNA.
The FAT was reportedly successful, with the Latvian Navy demonstrating the ship’s command and control using W-ECDIS and Autopilot, as well as the sensors’ functionalities and interfaces.
The tests also involved a scenario of mine identification, leveraging the SEASCAN and firing simulation with the KSTER for mine disposal.
“The work progress on this program is fast enough. I see the big efforts from the ECA Group side to develop new sensors and systems based on our requests,” Dmitrijs Jankovs, MCM squadron upgrade program manager, said.
Arturs Knoks, Commander of M-08, the first ship to be modernised, added: “So far, I am satisfied of the performances of the K-STER and the SEASCAN.”
In addition to its work in Europe, ECA Group is bidding for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) SEA 1905 Tranche 1 – Maritime Mine Countermeasures Survey program, which is seeking an autonomous solution to be deployed from the Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs).
The company has partnered with a number of local firms, including Western Australia-based Total Marine Technology.
The ECA-led team is competing against Saab Australia, which recently launched its bid alongside Leidos Australia, SeeByte and Sonartech Atlas.
[Related: iXblue, ECA Group demonstrate subsea tracking capability]
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