Canada’s Magellan Aerospace has signed an agreement with command and control provider Atlas Elektronik to help develop the rocket motor and warhead sections of the German firm’s latest underwater warfare weapon.
Atlas Elektronik’s SeaSpider can be best described as an anti-torpedo-torpedo, says Thorsten Bochentin, director of business development for Atlas. The company is positioning the technology for the Canadian Navy’s upcoming and lucrative Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program. The SeaSpider is designed to be fired from a surface vessel.
“It is designed to provide hard-kill defence capability against all torpedo threats for surface vessels and submarines,” he told Vanguard. “Essentially it’s mission is to seek out and destroy a torpedo launched by an enemy vessel before it can reach its target.”
As the key enabler for torpedo defence, SeaSpider® will be integrated with sonar and acoustic sensors to counter these underwater warfare threats.
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SeaSpider will combine the best technology and decades of experiences of two worlds – the expertise of Atlas in naval systems like the SeaHake mod4 heavyweight torpedo and the leading rocket technology of Magellan Aerospace as chosen by NASA.
Magellan Aerospace and Atlas Elektronik Canada will enter the global market of naval defence with a revolutionary underwater rocket motor for SeaSpider that will define the world standard and support diversity in a key Canadian aerospace capability, according to Rick Gerbrecht, President and CEO of Atlas.
“The SeaSpider represents an unprecedented resurgence in the excellence in Canadian anti-submarine warfare capability,” he said. “We are proud to be part of this effort that will offer the RCN, in time for the construction of the Canadian Surface Combatant, the leading integrated UWW solution to protect ships and sailors”.
“Magellan has a proven record of launching globally successful propulsion products, and looks forward to participating in this new endeavour with Atlas”, said Phil Underwood, President and CEO of Magellan Aerospace.
With the SeaSpider system at technology readiness level 6 the system concept as well as the novel underwater rocket propulsion is proven in multiple firings at sea, said Bochentin.
The transition to production maturity through development and qualification can now be achieved in collaboration across the Atlantic, according to Atlas.
“The common goal is the concurrent certification for NATO and Allied forces deployment and the establishment of a new standard in torpedo defence,” the company said.