Euronaval 2024 – Safran Paseo XLR developments detailed
The recent naval operations in the Red Sea highlighted the need for sensors capable to detect and engage challenging threats such as unmanned systems in demanding environmental conditions. Safran Electronic & Defense offers its Paseo XLR (eXtra Long Range) ITAR-free electro-optical (EO) system which has been sold to six Navies including the Marine Nationale, the latter equipping its fleet of frontline and support units with 32 systems sold to date. Safran is also proposing its Advanced Cognitive Engine (ACE) artificial intelligence-based solution to enhance the Paseo XLR capabilities and is also developing an integrated radar/EO fire control system
The Paseo XLR optronic identification system ensures long-range identification and tracking of all kinds of threats, being able to control weapon systems when equipped with a ballistic computer (optional), and capable to be integrated into the ship command management system (CMS) or being operated stand-alone. It was specifically designed for operations in extreme naval environment thanks to a wide set of imagers with continuous zoom and high-power telescopes (spotters), and an eye-safe laser range finder.
Based on an urgent operational requirement issued by the Marine Nationale and generated by the recent naval operations in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, in late 2023 Safran integrated in record time the Paseo XLR as a stand-alone system on the Alsace Aquitaine-class air defence variant FREMM frigate (FREMM DA) which distinguished itself for the operational success against unmanned systems and ballistic missiles. “With more than 60 systems supplied to six Navies worldwide since 2018, including the French Navy’s Charles De Gaulle aircraft carrier in 2019 and the BRF (Bâtiments Ravitailleurs de Forces) or Logistic Support Ship (LSS) Jacques-Chevallier in 2023 (the first ship receiving the system since its entry into service), the French Navy launched a programme to equip its fleet of frontline and support vessels with 32 Paseo XLR systems,” said Olivier H., sales manager at Safran Electronics & Defense. In addition to the Alsace FREMM frigate, the Paseo XLR has been installed on additional FREMMs (known platforms include Lorraine, Provence, Normandie and Aquitaine) and two Forbin-class air defence frigates in 2024, while the remaining FREMMs will be equipped by 2025.
The second BRF Jacques Stosskopf is planned to be delivered in 2025, alongside the first-of-class Amiral Ronarc’h FDI (Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention). “Safran has received a contract in 2018 to equip all five Marine Nationale FDIs with the Paseo XLR since their entry into service. These were followed by the same type FDI HN frigates for the Hellenic Navy,” the company representative added. In the single turret configuration, the Paseo XLR has been installed on board the Aquitaine-class frigates (on the hangar structure), on Forbin-class air defence destroyers (on the main mast structure just under the radar fire control antenna) and on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier (on the top area of the main mast), while the two-system configuration was selected for the BRFs (forward and rear on the superstructures) and FDIs (on two angles of the integrated mast). The system is already installed on three French Gendarmeriepatrol vessels, supporting operations mainly in the English Channel.
Although Safran hasn’t provided details on all export customers, the Paseo XLR is already fitted on the Philippine Navy’s two Miguel Malvar-class frigates and on two corvettes under delivery by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, on the Brazilian Navy’s Tamandaré-class frigates and the OPV 58Ss built by Pirou shipyard for the Senegalese Navy.
System’s features and capabilities
Characterized by a high-performance 2-axis gyro stabilized platform very high line-of-sight point accuracy, the Paseo XLR features a sensor head of reduced dimensions and weight with a wide elevation range and full azimuth coverage, the latter includes a 3rd generation high-definition (HD) mid-wave infrared (MWIR) (3-5 µm)cooled thermal Satis XLR imager with NFOV of less than 1° and continuous optical zoom, a daylight full HD (High Definition) TV camera with continuous optical zoom and an HDTV spotter, alongside a powerful short-wave infrared (SWIR) (0.95-1.7 micron) spotter channel, and an eye safe laser range finder.
Conceived for easy integration and high modularity, it is composed of five main elements which can be replaced on board the ship and it can be integrated into the CMS or operated in a stand-alone mode with a dedicated console with highly intuitive HMI (human machine interface). The Paseo XLR allows manual or automatic sector surveillance, automatic target tracking, visual identification, laser ranging and transmission or reception of 3D target data. When fitted with its optional ballistic computer, the Paseo XLR can simultaneously control several guns of different calibres to ensure high accuracy firing, according to Safran. “The Paseo XLR has been designed for very long-range identification thanks to full HD and very narrow FoV spotters,” said the Safran representative, showing an image of a clock tower and and a detail of the clock of a few centimetres taken at a distance of almost 1 km (corresponding to a pixel size of 30 mm at 10 km). Other key features are multi-target tracking, MWIR and HD TV fusion (the upgrading from “VGA” MWIR to “HD” MWIR increases detection and identification ranges by roughly 30%), the SWIR camera offering long-range capabilities in extreme environmental condition, such as “providing clear background despite foggy conditions at long ranges,” replacing the low-level light TV camera capability of older systems, and in general the multispectral acquisition and presentation to the operator in different windows allowing the selection of the more suitable one for the assigned task.
Safran also showed images taken with the Paseo XLR from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, regarding Russian fighters and bombers taken at distances of around 40-50 km depending on environmental conditions, where the aircraft could be easily identified.
Interestingly, during the recent Skyshark exercise organized by the training division of the Marine Nationale’s Force d’Action Navale (FAN) with the participation of French, UK, US, Spanish and Netherlands navies with the aim of preparing crews to fight in high-intensity combat situations, the French Navy has released images of the Aquitaine frigate’s Paseo XLR control station in the stand-alone configuration equipped with commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS) play station.
PASEO XLR artificial intelligence developments with ACE
During Euronaval 2024, Safran Electronics & Defense announced the integration into the Paseo XLR of its Advanced Cognitive Engine (ACE), designed to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across all company’s defence products. This system aims to enhance situational awareness, provide decision support, and reduce cognitive load for military forces in the field. Branded as “ACE on board”, the AI solution is provided by the new Safrain.AI company, previously known as Preligens and acquired in 2023, which has been working on AI solutions to analyse video resolution full motion video, developing algorithms for automatic target detection and identification, which have been trained with large volumes of data from various sensors and databases. Based on these activities, the new company is offering the ACE hosting platform exploiting a range of advanced AI-based functions to make full use of the Safran military product range’s capabilities. It comes embedded into the ACE Cube as the small but powerful processing box accommodating the AI system is called.
“Thanks to the ACE, the Paseo XLR offers a range of enhancements, including earlier detection of threats through the sensors resolution improvement and better image quality; it assists operators in threats evaluation, offering automatic classification of remote/partially visible targets, geo-localisation of targets using only passive means, and reduced operators cognitive load; it allows following a target of interest in a very busy areathrough multi-target tracking with AI; finally, it ensures threats classification and trajectory computation, to enable defining the highest priority targets to be countered,” the Safran representative highlighted. Other mentioned capabilities supported by AI is the turbulence mitigation, when image may be blurred by atmospheric conditions, detection of threats on coastal background, high temperature variation between target and background or when targets may be hard to be identified because of haze or fog; in those cases the AI tool comes in aid with its dehazing algorithm revealing target details, its denoising algorithm unveiling targets masked by noisy background and its super resolution increasing sharpness.
All those capabilities are constantly improved through functions and algorithms based on enriched database, operators feedback and priorities. During Euronaval, Safran announced the collaboration with the Marine Nationale CEPN (Centre d’Expertise des Programmes Navals) or Naval Programmes Expertise Center,for the development of AI algorithms to serve naval forces. Thanks to ACE and its advanced applications in ACE Cube, Safran continues the development of AI onboard French Navy vessels, the company said, “this partnership allowing us to refine Safran work based on the service valued feedback.”
Paseo XLR and radar for fire control purposes
The French company also highlighted development activities currently underway to put together the Paseo XLR with radars, and provide a compact and light (300 kg), easy to install, distributed fire control package. Safran is developing a solution that fuses optical and radar information into a single track with in-action firing corrections for surface and air targets, combining the Paseo XLR with a radar providing performance consistent with a 76 mm calibre. An up-to-date C2 solution has already been developed but requires enhancements to fulfil the latest requirements. Safran has shown a combination based on its long-range EO coupled to a FMCW (frequency-modulated continuous-wave) radar, but different radio-frequency solutions and EO/RF package configurations are being considered.
Images and photos courtesy Safran
