Mitsubishi- Thales Develop Prototype of Next-Gen Mine Countermeasure Device

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has developed the prototype of a next-generation mine-countermeasure device, a joint project between MHI and France’s Thales Group.

MHI announced today that it concluded a research and prototype production contract with Japan’s Ministry of Defense for a next-generation mine-countermeasure technology, a France-Japan joint research project.

The research and prototype manufacturing project aims to combine the low frequency synthetic aperture sonar (LF-SAS) mounted in MHI’s OZZ-5 autonomous underwater mine countermeasure vehicle with the high frequency synthetic aperture sonar (HF-SAS) from France’s Thales Group.

The system enhances the precision of automatic detection and classification function, together with signal processing technology development, achieve synthetic aperture signal processing in real time.

The technology will allow for the detection and classification of buried and ground underwater mines that pose a hazard to ship navigation, without being subject to underwater conditions.

This joint research project is being conducted based on a France-Japan strategic roadmap to “continue cooperation including producing a prototype using sophisticated mine detection technology and conducting sea trials.”

MHI, through this France-Japan joint technology development, will, following government guidance, take part in international cooperation in the rescue, transport, patrol, surveillance, and mine countermeasure sectors.