Kongsberg to Supply Submarine-Hunting & Diver Detection Sonars for Finnish Warships

Saab has selected Kongsberg to provide Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and diver detection sonars for the Finnish Navy’s Pohjanmaa-class corvettes.

“Kongsberg Maritime AS, Sensor & Robotics is celebrating the signing of a contract with Saab that will see KONGSBERG delivering its market-leading Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and diver detection sonars for the Pohjanmaa-class corvettes currently being developed by the Finnish Navy under its Squadron 2020 project,” the company said in a statement on April 15.

Under the terms of the contract, which equates to approximately 100MNOK ($9.53 million), KONGSBERG will equip the vessels with its SS2030 and SD9500 sonars.

The SS2030, principally devised for ASW operations and capable of detecting torpedoes or other small objects in the water column, is an active hull-mounted sonar which utilises sophisticated tracking algorithms. Its electronically-stabilised transmitting and receiving beams can be tilted to adjust to challenging sound speed profiles, with its integrated Sound Propagation Model determining the optimal tilt settings and enhancing the Probability of Detection (PoD) ratio. The SS2030 sonars will be delivered to the Finnish Navy complete with hoist-able hull units and ice protection to ensure safe and efficient operation in the often harsh conditions of the Baltic Sea.

The SD9500, meanwhile, is a light and compact over-the-side dipping sonar with outstanding horizontal and vertical positioning capabilities for diver detection, ASW duties and volumetric survey assignments in shallow, reverberation-limited waters.