Naval Gun Systems Gain Advanced Counter-Drone Capabilities

Safran Electronics & Defense and MSI-Defence Systems established a technical cooperation to develop integrated counter-drone systems combining stabilized optronic sights with naval and land gun mounts. The partnership addresses the accelerating operational requirement to detect, track, and neutralize asymmetric unmanned aerial threats across maritime and terrestrial domains. Deploying effective counter-unmanned aerial system technology requires aligning advanced optronic targeting payloads with ruggedized weapon stations to maintain high-precision fire control under severe operational constraints.

Participating Companies and Operational Challenges
Safran Electronics & Defense supplies optronic sights, infrared sensors, laser rangefinders, and electronic warfare mitigation components. MSI-Defence Systems designs and manufactures remote-controlled naval and land gun systems, including the SEAHAWK and TERRAHAWK platforms. Modern armed forces face challenges regarding short reaction times for low-radar-cross-section targets, high-frequency sensor data processing, and multi-domain environmental interference. Standalone gun mounts or unassisted optical turrets often fail to provide reliable autonomous tracking and target identification without integrated stabilized electro-optical directors. Cooperation became necessary because neither specialized optronic manufacturing nor gun mount engineering alone covers the complete sensor-to-effector chain required for modern counter-drone combat operations.

Technical Architecture and Division of Responsibilities
The joint technical solution couples Safran Electronics & Defense sighting systems with MSI-Defence Systems weapon platforms. Responsibilities are divided based on core competencies, where Safran Electronics & Defense engineers the day and night observation modules, stabilization algorithms, and fire control optronics. MSI-Defence Systems integrates these payloads directly onto gun mounts, managing mechanical interfaces, power distribution, and ballistic calculation architectures. The system functions by acquiring target telemetry via multi-sensor electro-optical suites, stabilizing the line of sight through inertial feedback loops, and executing kinetic engagement or electronic countermeasures via Skyjacker jamming subsystems. Standardized digital interfaces ensure low-latency communication between the gunner station and the weapon control computer.
 

Deployment and Infrastructure Integration
The integrated counter-drone systems are deployed aboard mine countermeasure vessels for a NATO European navy, with initial equipment deliveries scheduled for 2027. Implementation follows phased platform integration, starting with the installation of VIGEO stabilized gunner sights onto SEAHAWK DS30M 30-millimeter gun mounts. The hardware interfaces directly with existing shipboard combat management systems and power distribution grids without requiring structural modification of the vessel superstructure. Field technicians configure turret-tracking parameters to optimize target acquisition arcs and ensure operational compatibility with legacy ammunition handling systems.

Operational Use Cases and Technical Impact
Target application areas include naval surface warfare protection, amphibious landing support, and mobile land-based air defense networks. Concrete technical use cases involve low-altitude drone swarm interception, asymmetric surface threat neutralization, and persistent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in littoral environments. The operational benefits stem from gyro-stabilized line-of-sight precision, multi-spectral target identification capabilities in degraded visual environments, and reduced sensor-to-shooter latency. By integrating high-resolution optronic directors directly with remote-controlled guns, armed forces achieve higher first-round hit probabilities and enhanced protection against modern aerial threats.

Edited by Sucithra Mani, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.safran-group.com