Damen and Thales to Build the German MKS 180 Frigate of the Future
Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and Thales signed on November 17, 2020, the contract for the delivery and full integration of Thales’s Mission and Combat System for the four MKS 180 class frigates contracted by the German Navy. The system will be designed by Damen and completely built by German shipyards, under Damen’s project management.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201117005651/en/
MKS 180 frigate © Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding
Valued at €1.5B, the contract illustrates Thales’s leading position in naval global integration. It will be executed by Thales’s naval Centers of Excellence in Hengelo (the Netherlands), Kiel and Wilhelmshaven (Germany) in cooperation with a substantial number of German subcontractors.
Underpinning this contract is the proven cooperation of German and Dutch naval industries, including numerous joint opportunities for Damen and Thales in the Netherlands to innovate within naval shipbuilding projects, often with the participation of the Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence. The project underscores Damen’s and Thales’s ambition to build further cooperation with shipyards and partnering industries in high-end European naval programmes.
Thales’s Mission and Combat System includes the comprehensive Tacticos Combat Management System and the AWWS (Above Water Warfare System) Fire Control Cluster. The contract includes four ship systems, logistic services and multiple land-based test and training sites, as well as the option for one or two additional ships.
AWWS is a cutting-edge warfare suite that helps the ship crews to counter and neutralise complex saturation attacks by continuously analysing and optimising the tactical environment and deployment of resources. AWWS will be combined with APAR* Bl2, the evolved version of Thales’s proven AESA* multifunction radar. In 2019, Thales signed an AWWS development contract for the new M-frigates for the Belgian and Dutch Navies.
In the past years, Thales has been awarded several large contracts by European NATO navies, thanks to innovative solutions and its proven reliability as an industrial partner. These contracts have made Thales the de facto naval combat system partner of NATO.
The first ship of the MKS 180 class will be operational in 2028. The entire programme will run for over ten years.
“Winning such a substantial contract within the strict framework of an objective scoring system reinforces our global leading position in high-end naval integration. Thanks to our innovative capabilities, the German Navy will be able to execute both current and future tasks whilst substantially contributing to stability in the operational theatres all over the world.” Gerben Edelijn, CEO of Thales Netherlands.
“As a partner in the MKS 180 programme, Thales Deutschland not only contributes to a high German value-added share, but also brings many years of experience in European cooperation and proven systems expertise. This programme will create new, high-quality jobs in Germany, within an exemplary framework of European defence cooperation. We will also contribute to maintaining the German Navy's operational capability at the highest level within the alliance,” Dr. Christoph Hoppe, CEO of Thales Deutschland.
“We are very honoured by this notification which further solidifies our long-standing cooperation with the German Navy and Damen. We sincerely thank our customers for their continued trust. This huge contract anchors our position as global leader in high-end naval systems integration. The German Navy will benefit from cutting-edge technological systems thanks to the diversity of talents at Thales”. Patrice Caine, Chairman and CEO of Thales.
* APAR: Active Phased Array Radar
* AESA: Active Electronically Scanned Array
About Thales
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader shaping the world of tomorrow today. The Group provides solutions, services and products to customers in the aeronautics, space, transport, digital identity and security, and defence markets. With 83,000 employees in 68 countries, Thales generated sales of €19 billion in 2019 (on a pro forma basis including Gemalto over 12 months).
Thales is investing in particular in digital innovations — connectivity, Big Data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — technologies that support businesses, organisations and governments in their decisive moments.
Thales in the naval domain
With more than 50 years of experience as a provider of naval equipment, systems and services, Thales offers naval forces around the world unrivalled expertise and proven operational benefits. Thales understands how naval and maritime affairs are evolving today, and leverages those insights to help ensure the success of a broad range of naval missions around the world. Thales air defence, surface defence, anti-submarine warfare and maritime safety & security systems are now in service with more than 50 navies.
Thales in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, Thales employs about 2.200 staff members in Hengelo, Enschede, Huizen, Delft, The Hague and Eindhoven. They are contributing to the development, production and integration of complex systems for defence, transport and security. such as Command & Control, public transport chipcard, communication systems and cyber security.
Thales in Germany
Thales Deutschland is one of the largest national subsidiaries of the Thales group and employs 3,800 persons at 11 locations and carries out its own manufacturing and development. In 2019, Thales Deutschland generated sales of EUR 1.2 billion, predominantly German value added. Thales Deutschland, an integrated German electronics corporation and systems house, is a model of German engineering tradition. As a recognized member of Germany's high-tech industry, Thales Deutschland offers its customers at home and abroad state-of-the-art, highly secure and ultra-reliable communications, information and control systems, as well as services for secure ground, air and sea transportation, for both civilian and military security and protection needs. In addition, Thales Deutschland has a comprehensive portfolio of IT solutions for cyber security.
PLEASE VISIT
Thales Group
Market page
Download HD photos
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201117005651/en/
Contact information
PRESS
Thales, Deputy Group Communications Director
Cédric Leurquin
+33 (0)1 57 77 90 93
cedric.leurquin@thalesgroup.com
Thales, Germany
Director Communications
Christopher Bach
+49 7156 353 34991
christopher.bach@thalesgroup.com
Thales, Netherlands
Director Communications
Job Van Harmelen
+31 (0)6 10088211
job.vanharmelen@nl.thalesgroup.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Logo Established for the “Japan Creator Support Fund” to Support the Global Success of Japan’s Next-Generation Creators and Artists30.6.2025 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
The Japan Arts Council (President: Mariko Hasegawa), with funding from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, has established the Japan Creator Support Fund to support projects nurturing Japan’s diverse creators and artists, and to support cultural facilities’ function enhancement. We are pleased to announce that the logo for the Fund has been established and that the English-language global website, which is promoting this project overseas, has been officially launched on Monday, June 30, 2025. A promotional video for international audiences is also now available on the website. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250627404244/en/ From the top left are the individual logos for the following support programs: the Creator & Artist Development Support Program [FOR CREATORS], the Support Program for Cultural Facilities Function Enhancement [FOR CULTURAL FACILITIES], the Creator Support Program (Program Development & Implem
From Waste to Strategic Metals: Circular Materials Achieves First Industrial-Scale Recoveries Under the Critical Raw Materials Act30.6.2025 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
Circular Materials announces two major milestones under the Critical Raw Materials Act: the recovery from industrial wastewater of the first kilogram of ruthenium and the first ton of nickel, preventing the release of heavy metals into the environment. These results were secured through strong collaborations with two leading companies in surface treatments: LEM, core company of the LEM INDUSTRIES Group, specialized in the luxury sector, and Argos Surface Technologies Group, a leader in industrial coatings. This success comes just a few months after the European Commission recognized Recover-IT as a strategic project, confirming the pivotal role of Circular Materials in securing critical raw material supplies, increasing recycling, and reducing the EU’s dependence on imports. Ruthenium and Nickel: crucial metals for a sustainable future Ruthenium, a noble metal from the platinum group, is essential for cutting-edge sectors such as advanced electronics, green hydrogen production, fine ch
SBC Medical added to membership of Russell 3000 ® Index28.6.2025 02:30:00 EEST | Press release
SBC Medical Group Holdings Incorporated (Nasdaq: SBC) (“SBC Medical”), a global franchise and provider of services for aesthetic clinics, has been added as a member of the broad-market Russell 3000® Index, effective after the US market opens on June 30, as part of the 2025 Russell indexes reconstitution. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250608244276/en/ Yoshiyuki Aikawa-Director (Chairman), CEO Membership in the Russell 3000® Index, which remains in place for one year, means automatic inclusion in the large-cap Russell 1000® Index or small-cap Russell 2000®Index as well as the appropriate growth and value style indexes. Russell indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies. According to the data as of the end of June 2024, about $10.6 trillion in assets are benchmarked against the Russell US indexes, which belong to
Altimetrik and SLK Software Join Forces to Create an AI-First Engineering Services Powerhouse27.6.2025 23:44:00 EEST | Press release
Altimetrik, a pure-play AI, Data and Digital engineering solutions company, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire SLK Software (“SLK”), a global technology services firm focused on delivering AI, intelligence automation and analytics solutions. The acquisition will further strengthen Altimetrik’s end-to-end enablement services and expand its customer reach, with a clear path to accelerate towards Altimetrik’s goal of reaching $1billion in annual revenue. The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the second half of 2025. Financial details were not disclosed. Founded in 2000, SLK is recognized as a leader in the tech industry, and for its commitment to create innovative digital solutions. This strategic acquisition will significantly enhance the scale of Altimetrik’s capabilities, bringing together Altimetrik’s AI-first, platform-native engineering model and SLK’s full technology services stack that will further
PRD Therapeutics Announces Initiation of First-in-Human Study for PRD00127.6.2025 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
PRD Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical stage company focused on the development of novel lipid metabolism regulators targeting homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) and metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MASH/MASLD), today announced that the company recently initiated dosing in a First-in-Human (FIH) clinical trial of PRD001, a first-in-class SOAT2 (formerly known as ACAT2) selective inhibitor. “We are excited to initiate dosing in this clinical trial of PRD001. Many clinical trials have been conducted on SOAT1/2 dual or SOAT1 selective inhibitors, but this is the first clinical trial of an SOAT2 selective inhibitor” said Kanji Hosoda, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of PRD Therapeutics. “Several results with SOAT1 or 2 knockout mice have been published, suggesting that knocking out or inhibiting only SOAT2 is crucial to demonstrate safety and efficacy. PRD001 is the world's first and only SOAT2-selective inhibitor and is expected to exhibit safety and efficacy in hu
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom