New NS50 radar contract signed!

A large, new contract for our NS50 radar has been signed! The navies of Belgium and the Netherlands have asked Thales and naval yard Kership to provide their 12 new Mine Counter Measures Vessels (MCMV) with this radar, for air and surface surveillance and fire control capabilities. This is also the first time that we get to supply equipment for mine counter measures vessels, opening new possibilities.

The NS50 is the first radar to support complete protection against air and surface threats for this category of ships. This makes it a strategic choice for small to medium-sized ships for both surveillance and fire control functions.

Game changer in field detection

Threats to navies have become more complex than ever, from modern anti-ship missiles, automated threats and saturation attacks to electronic warfare in both conventional and asymmetric environments. Having the right information quickly available is of vital importance. But the NS50 radar is a game changer! The system provides superior air and surface object detection and accurate 4D target information for rapid defensive action against all types of threats.

Mine sweeping support

These mine fighters for the Belgian and Dutch navies also use smaller, unmanned vessels, for example, to independently locate mines. “Navies are confronted with increasingly complex and faster threats. Our compact NS50 helps them deal with those threats. We developed the NS50 in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and regional knowledge institutes and companies in Overijssel, Gelderland and Noord-Brabant. Thales has received a subsidy for this from the European ERDF fund for regional development”, explains Geert van der Molen, Naval Director of Thales NL.

NS radar family

The NS50 is part of the Thales NS family of radars which is already operational on various ship classes of the Royal Netherlands Navy and has more than proven its value on international missions. This NS50 type is a fully software-controlled sensor with a modular and scalable architecture that allows it to be used on various ship classes. The fully digital design guarantees easy upgrades and meets the most stringent cybersecurity requirements.