Under the agreement, kta, a consortium made up of Kongsberg, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systeme and Atlas Elektronik, ordered six optronic systems that include OMS 150 optronic mast systems, OMS 300 systems and i360°OS panoramic surveillance systems which are expected to be equipped on each of the six submarines for the German and Norwegian navies.

“With the twin optronic mast solution, the clients opted for the technological leap from the conventional, traditional direct view of a periscope system to a completely hull-penetrating digital system solution,” HENSOLD said in a statement.

Andreas Hülle, managing director of HENSOLDT Optronics, said that the new optronic capabilities enable the submarines to operate even in suboptimal conditions.

"This combination provides the new submarines with sensor equipment that combines the highest detection capabilities even in poor visibility with a high degree of automation, thus significantly improving the boats' ability to act and survive,” Hülle said.

The agreement between HENSOLD and kta marks the first time that the OMS 150 and OMS 300 have been commissioned for the U212 CD class, with the OMS 150 providing multispectral capabilities as a search and surveillance optronic mast, while the stealth OMS 300 system oversees the ships “attack” functions.

According to the company, the new masts provide visibility across all weather conditions and operations.

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In mid-2021, HENSOLDT Australia’s Hobart office was established as the centre for the Southern Guardian systems integration and data analysis, which will further fuel innovation and opportunities for both Defence and commercial space operations.

The new office signifies HENSOLDT’s investment in developing a sovereign Australian Space Domain Awareness capability, together with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and the announcement of funding for a PhD scholar at the University of Tasmania.

According to Scott Reeman, VP Tasmania and GM strategy ANZ at HENSOLDT, Tasmania has first-class capability for sovereign projects.

“We are excited to be opening our Hobart office to work closely with TEAM Tasmania on Australia’s sovereign space domain awareness capability and other local partners to realise opportunities in the space, maritime, defence and clean energy domains together,” he said.

TEAM Tasmania is designed to create the Southern Guardian Space Domain Awareness System (Southern Guardian) to develop a sovereign competitive advantage for the state and the nation.

“Tasmania’s southern location makes it ideally positioned to observe and track space objects, like satellites and space debris, in polar orbits,” Reeman said.

[Related: Tasmania’s unique space advantage grows with HENSOLDT Australia]