Ahead of Euronaval 2026, Naval News visited the Thales Defense Mission Systems facility in Gémenos, France, to look at the latest developments in variable depth sonars (VDS) and towed array acoustic systems. Sandrine Heinis, Sonar Expert at Thales, shares exclusive details on how Thales is adapting its world-renowned CAPTAS sonar family for the uncrewed market and hybrid naval operations. Key Topics Covered in This Video: 3 cm Ultra-Thin Towed Array: A new receiving array with a diameter reduced by a factor of three, designed specifically for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) and maritime uncrewed systems. Multistatic ASW Capabilities: How pairing active transmitters (like CAPTAS-4) with multiple passive thin-line arrays on USVs enhances underwater situational awareness. Modular CAPTAS-4: A plug-and-play, containerized VDS solution built for ISO standard containers and large USVs. Thales "Hybrid Fleet" Vision: Integrating crewed vessels and autonomous maritime drones into unified mission management systems for anti-submarine warfare. CAPTAS-1 Mission Module: Status update on the containerized CAPTAS-1 module, including a newly announced order for three systems. ===================== Timestamps: 0:00 – Introduction: Inside the Thales Gémenos Sonar Production Facility 0:56 – Global Track Record: The CAPTAS Sonar Family 1:36 – New 3 cm Ultra-Thin Towed Array for USVs 2:32 – Thales "Hybrid Fleet" Concept & Multistatic ASW Operations 3:40 – Modular, Containerized CAPTAS-4 for ISO Standards 4:38 – CAPTAS-1 Mission Module & New Export Customer For more coverage on Euronaval 2026 and global naval technology, visit Naval News: https://www.navalnews.com/
Source: Thales Teases Ultra – Thin Towed Array, Modular CAPTAS – 4 and USV ASW Capabilities
