Thales has opened a new facility in Australia to support Royal Australian Navy (RAN) sonar capacity and capability requirements for underwater warfare (UWW) operations, alongside broader aims to bolster Australia’s sovereign defence outputs and deterrence and national security.
Thales sees the new sonar facility as a ‘hub’ for designing, manufacturing, integrating, and sustaining advanced underwater acoustic systems, feeding into major RAN UWW programmes and operations.
In a statement, the company said the facility “will be a critical piece of the sovereign supply chain for the Thales towed-array sonar (TAS) system onboard the [RAN’s] Hunter-class frigates”.
The facility will “enable end-to-end manufacture and sustainment of complex TAS systems for submarines, surface ships, and autonomous maritime systems,” the statement continued, adding: “Local sustainment of high-quality sensors means more time in the water for Australian assets, allowing more persistent surveillance and detection of threats.”
The statement said the primary areas of focus will be next-generation TAS systems for submarines and surface combatants, plus thin-line TAS systems for uncrewed platforms in both the Australian and export markets.
The statement highlighted three programmes that the facility will support:
- The Hunter-class frigates, carrying TAS capability designed to support long-range submarine detection and tracking, while building wider maritime domain awareness (MDA).
- Thales’ BlueSentry next-generation autonomous surveillance capability, which combines advanced thin-line fibre-optic TAS with uncrewed platforms.
- The in-service Collins-class submarine’s sonar system.
Pat Conroy, Australia’s Minister for Defence Industry, opened the new facility and underlined its role as a sovereign centre of excellence for advanced acoustic systems that will support Australian defence and export opportunities for decades to come.
Jeff Connolly, Chief Executive Officer for Thales Australia and New Zealand, added that the capabilities developed and manufactured there demonstrate Australia’s ability to deliver sovereign UWW technology.
The facility, jointly funded by the company and by the Commonwealth of Australia, is located at Rydalmere, western Sydney – at Thales Australia’s advanced manufacturing complex, within its wider acoustics centre of excellence construct, and also a location with an established history of developing RAN sonar and other anti-submarine warfare (ASW) assets and capabilities.
ASW capability is a strategic-level requirement for Western navies operating in the Indo-Pacific region. For decades, several navies in the region, notably China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), have been developing new submarine capabilities. Countering the PLAN’s UWW capabilities with high-end ASW outputs, including surveillance and detection, is seen as central to maintaining regional deterrence and stability.
by Dr. Lee Willett
