Euronaval 2024 – SLAMF programme: the future of French Navy’s mine warfare capabilities

The future of French Navy’s mine warfare capabilities is based on the SLAMF (Système de lutte anti-mines marines du futur) programme. Replacing the current assets including the Tripartite-class MCMVs, sonar towing ships (BRS) and diving support vessels (BBPD), in addition to new operational and maintenance support facilities through a phased roadmap, key milestones will be reached in late 2024 and through 2025

The French Navy SLAMF programme will see a complete change of approach to the mine warfare domain as the core capabilities will be based on unmanned platforms and systems deployed from motherships and ashore. The SLAMF sees an incremental approach, with a procurement strategy in different batches, the French DGA representative heading the programme told media during the pre-Euronaval press tour. The core of the first increment was the development and procurement of the unmanned systems toolbox under the joint French-UK MMCM (Maritime MCM) programme, which is led by Thales on the industrial side. The current procurement includes four sets (comprising the upgraded prototype) of unmanned toolbox or MCM modules called Modules de Lutte Contre les Mines (MLCM), but the capability roadmap established by the Loi de Programmation Militaire (LPM) 2024-2030 specifies a requirement for a total of eight MLCMs to be in service by 2035.

After the delivery of the first two prototypes, one each for the Marine Nationale and the Royal Navy, in late 2021, the French DGA made the first fully unmanned system demonstration in 2023 and the latest step was achieved this summer with the start of the operational evaluation and training, alongside the final definition of the system. “The first MLCM is planned to be delivered at the end of 2024,” the DGA representative confirmed. In addition to the procurement of the four MCLMs, each based on two unmanned surface vehicle (USVs) and two autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the first increment perimeter also includes one Portable Operation Centre (POC) and one Shore Operational Centre (SOC), meaning that the first increment aims at delivering a permanent capability on Brest facilities and an expeditionary one with the POC. In addition to these capabilities, the first increment also regards the upgrading of the French Navy mine warfare data management system (SEDGM, Système d’Exploitation des Données de Guerre des Mines), which will also be delivered at the end of 2024, being fully compatible with the Thales system package.

“An early operational capability for the MCM unmanned module is expected to be achieved in 2025 without the neutralization activity being conducted by unmanned systems. Divers will contribute to provide this capability in the meantime,” the DGA representative said. The full unmanned MCM operation will be achieved only in 2027, after the series production of operational charges for the Saab MuMNS will be delivered in 2026 and fully tested in operational contexts. Divers will remain however in the future of French Navy’s mine warfare capability.

The second increment of the SLAMF regards the procurement of the motherships for the unmanned systems also known Bâtiments de Guerre Des Mines (BGDM) to replace the current Tripartite-class MCMVs. In October 2023, France inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Belgium and the Netherlands for the development and construction of future mine warfare vessels for the Marine Nationale, aiming at sharing the definition of the mothership design. Under the Belgium Naval & Robotics consortium, Naval Group and Exail have been contracted to provide a total of 12 MCM platforms with a toolbox of unmanned systems to respectively Belgium (six ships) and the Netherlands (six ships), these being built by the Kership joint venture between Naval Group and Piriou in France, at the latter shipyard, the first of which will be delivered in 2025.

“The next step will be the procurement of the motherships in 2025,” the DGA representative said, although no further information was provided on the number of vessels and design of the new ships. However, the LPM 2023-2040 indicates a requirement for six platforms by 2035. EDR On-Line understood the main difference between Belgium/Netherlands and French designs regards the modifications to carry the MLCM suite of unmanned systems or Pathmaster, as it is commercially named by Thales.

Based on an incremental procurement approach, according to the 2025 budget requests, within the perimeter of the second increment are also the acquisition of an additional shore operation centre (SOC) to be established in Toulon, alongside other MLCMs and the BBPD platforms. The major activities for 2025 regard the procurement of the BGDMs as well as the SOC in Toulon, in addition to testing and in-service support of the SEDGM, alongside SLAMF equipment support infrastructures development.

As part of the second increment, as anticipated during the pre-Euronaval press tour, the French DGA has launched the first procurement of new generation AUVs during Euronaval 2024. A contract was signed between DGA, Thales and Exail for the delivery of eight AUVs, plus options for additional eight. The industrial team will provide an extended version of the A18-M AUV by Exail equipped with the Thales SAMDIS 600 synthetic aperture sonar. According to the press statement, “the new compact SAMDIS sonar is optimized for the detection of all naval mine threat, down to deeper waters.” Featuring a unique advanced multi-view capability, it captures images from multiple angles in a single pass. Integrated with the MiMPA sonar data analysis software and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven algorithms, the SAMDIS 600 achieves high detection and classification probabilities, while increasing operational tempo and efficiency.

With its long-range precision and stealth, and its ability to operate in challenging environments, this AUV is a sea-proven vehicle, designed to embed sonar for the detection and classification of maritime mines, according to the press statement. Exail is responsible for developing the AUV’s fully autonomous capabilities and integrating, closely with Thales, the SAMDIS sonar technology.

The full scope of the SLAMF programme, according to the DGA representative, will be completed in the 2030 timeframe with a third increment allowing the service to achieve the full procurement of the mothership complimentary cores systems. With the third increment, the French DGA and Navy will also look to unmanned air systems to be equipped with systems for MCM operations.

The SLAMF programme also includes research and development activities to select the best technologies for dealing with drifting and buried mines, such as a mix of high and low frequency sonars apertures to deal with the latter mines, activities which are also conducted in partnership with Japan, in addition to AI capabilities.

Photos courtesy Thales and P. Valpolini taken at Euronaval 2024