The Royal Netherlands Navy acquires seven SEMA ASW training targets by Rtsys
7 October 2021 – The Royal Navy of Netherlands acquired 7 SEMA ASW training targets by RTsys, at the very beginning of 2021.
The 2 first targets have been delivered in September, and after training with our ASW dedicated team, the Dutch Navy have just communicated about their successful experience in the following article:
ASW Training Target replaces expensive submarine in exercises
Tracking down enemy submarines is an important task for both frigates and helicopters of the Royal Netherlands Navy. However, training staff is expensive, likewise the training time with submarines is limited and also expensive. A new Anti-Submarine Warfare training target addresses those problems.
More than 2 meters long, the orange practice target that appears underwater as an actual submarine of several tens of meters long. A submarine fighter gets a lifelike image on the sonar equipment. The target responds realistically to broadcast pings. Four years ago, Captain-Lieutenant Commander Björn Kerstens asked for such a practice target. “It’s fantastic that they are here now”, says the commander of Zr.Ms. Van Amstel just before the ship starts a sailing period of 3 months.
Usefulness and necessity
The Navy waited a long time for the anti-submarine training targets. The system aims to enable low-cost, realistic and accessible training anywhere in the world for operators of the low-frequency LFAPS sonar on the Van Amstel and Van Speijk and the HELRAS sonar on the NH90 maritime helicopters. “The drone simulates a submarine during training. They are relatively cheap, portable, reusable and give a realistic acoustic response within their peripheral frameworks,” says Captain-Lieutenant Commander Paul Dröge, Head of the Underwater Combat Technology Bureau. Crew can analyze their training.”
Race against the clock
The sailing period of Zr.Ms. Van Amstel was set as a hard deadline for the project. The Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and Sea Acceptance Test (SAT) had to be successfully completed, the operators trained in programming, maintenance, deployment and retrieval of the underwater drone. The drone had to be delivered operational before departure. “It was exciting whether it would work,” says Stefan Schut, underwater combat technology employee at the DMO and technical advisor for this project. “History shows that something unexpected always happens during a purchase process”
But not ‘always’ as RTsys confirmed its professionalism by respecting every requirement’s line and successfully complied to deliver the SEMA targets on time in Den Helder !
Future
The Netherlands will have a total of 4 practice targets, Belgium 3. The French manufacturer RTsys supplies 2 systems every year. The last Dutch system is expected in 2023, the last Belgian one in 2024. The expected lifespan of the underwater drone is 10 years. Defense will increasingly work with unmanned and autonomous systems. In order to prepare the organization for this future and because of its current expertise in the maintenance of the existing REMUS system, it was decided to outsource the heavy maintenance to DMI. In this way, the organization is gaining more and more knowledge and experience with the technical aspects of various unmanned systems. At the same time, maintenance is tackled in this way cost-effectively and with shorter lead times.
The Netherlands will have a total of 4 practice targets, Belgium 3. The French manufacturer RTsys supplies 2 systems every year. The last Dutch system is expected in 2023, the last Belgian one in 2024. The expected lifespan of the underwater drone is 10 years. Defense will increasingly work with unmanned and autonomous systems. In order to prepare the organization for this future and because of its current expertise in the maintenance of the existing REMUS system, it was decided to outsource the heavy maintenance to DMI. In this way, the organization is gaining more and more knowledge and experience with the technical aspects of various unmanned systems. At the same time, maintenance is tackled in this way cost-effectively and with shorter lead times.
Photo courtesy Royal Netherlands Navy
