Thales secures sonar contract for Netherlands' new Orka submarines

Thales will supply the integrated sonar suite that will equip the RNLN's four new Orka-class submarines. (Thales)

The Underwater Systems business of Thales has secured a multimillion-euro contract from France's Naval Group to supply integrated sonar suites for the Royal Netherlands Navy's (RNLN's) new Orka-class submarines.

Announcing the agreement on 19 March, Thales said its deal covered the supply of four complete multi-array sonar sets to equip each of four Orka-class boats. Exact details of the contract value were not released, but the company confirmed that the order was worth in excess of EUR100 million (USD109 million).

Naval Group was in September 2024 awarded a EUR5.6 billion contract by the Netherlands Ministry of Defence's Materiel and IT Command for the delivery of four conventionally powered 3,300 tonne displacement Blacksword Barracuda submarines to meet the RNLN's Walrus-class replacement requirement. All four boats – to be named Orka, Zwaardvis, Barracuda and Tijgerhaai – will be built at Naval Group's Cherbourg facility in northwest France, with the first two scheduled for delivery by the end of 2034.

The Thales sonar suite was a key component of Naval Group's bid. Evolved from the integrated sonar fit equipping the French Navy's Barracuda (Suffren-class) nuclear-powered attack submarines, the full suite includes a cylindrical bow array, a dual flank array, an intercept array, a mine and obstacle avoidance sonar, a passive towed array, an underwater telephone, an echo sounder, and signal processing racks.