Thales has won a multimillion-euro contract from France’s Naval Group to supply integrated sonar suites for the Royal Netherlands Navy’s new Orka-class submarines. The deal, valued at over €100 million ($109 million), was announced on March 19. Naval Group previously secured a €5.6 billion contract in September 2024 from the Netherlands Ministry of Defence to build four conventionally powered submarines at its Cherbourg facility. The Thales sonar suite, based on the French Navy’s Barracuda-class technology, will include multiple arrays and advanced sonar systems. This contract strengthens France-Netherlands defense cooperation and enhances the Dutch Navy’s underwater warfare capabilities.
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