Naval Group
"Power at sea"
French naval prime building Seagent underwater drones, Seaquest USVs and Steeris autonomy software, and prime contractor for Belgian-Dutch rMCM ships.
Naval Group is France's state-controlled naval defence prime contractor. It designs, builds and supports submarines, surface combatants and naval systems, and it has built up a dedicated portfolio of underwater and surface drones. The company traces its roots to French naval dockyards founded in 1631. The state dockyard organisation became DCN, was renamed DCNS in 2007 and took the name Naval Group on 28 June 2017. The registered head office is at 40-42 rue du Docteur Finlay in Paris. According to Wikipedia, the French State holds about 62% of the shares and Thales 35%, with the rest held by the company and its employees. The same source gives 2024 revenue of EUR 4.31 billion and 15,261 employees. Major French sites include Cherbourg (submarines), Brest, Lorient (surface ships), Nantes-Indret, Ruelle-sur-Touvre, Toulon-Ollioules and Saint-Tropez, which specialises in torpedoes, underwater weapons and drones.
Naval Group's conventional product line includes Scorpene, Barracuda and other attack submarines, nuclear ballistic-missile submarines, FREMM, Horizon and La Fayette frigates, Gowind corvettes, Mistral-class amphibious ships, aircraft carriers, and the F21 and MU90 torpedoes. In 2023 it set up a Drones, Autonomous Systems and Underwater Weapons department (DSA) to bring its uncrewed work together. In September 2024 it named four drone product lines:
- Steeris: control and autonomy software. Steeris On Board is an onboard decision-making module that lets a drone act within a human-defined framework. Steeris MS is a mission system interfaced with the host ship's combat management system. Steeris Command is a compact, containerised control room for land sites or vessels of opportunity.
- Seagent: underwater drones. Seagent M is a modular autonomous underwater system for training, surveillance and intelligence that can be deployed from a submarine, a surface ship or shore. Seagent XL is a long-endurance autonomous underwater combat system operated from a dock or a surface ship.
- Seaquest: surface drones. Seaquest S covers small multi-role USVs of 6.5 to 12.5 m that can operate alone or in swarms and can be carried by frigates. The S range is developed and marketed with subsidiary Sirehna, and the first unit, built with shipyard Chantier Naval Couach, was launched in July 2024 and shown at Euronaval 2024. Seaquest M (15 to 50 m) and Seaquest L (over 50 m) cover long-endurance missions.
- Sealken: docking and recovery systems, namely U-DOCK for underwater drones, S-DOCK for surface drones and A-DOCK for aerial drones.
The most visible uncrewed programme is the Unmanned Combat Underwater Vehicle (UCUV) demonstrator. In December 2023 the French defence procurement agency DGA ordered it from Naval Group, based on the company's extra-large UUV (XL-UUV) prototype. Press reports describe a vehicle more than 10 m long weighing over 10 tonnes. The first phase focuses on autonomous decision-making and safe autonomous navigation. Long endurance and underwater detection are planned for later contracts.
In mine warfare, Naval Group is the overall architect and prime contractor of the Belgian-Dutch replacement Mine Countermeasures (rMCM) programme. The work is done through Belgium Naval & Robotics, its consortium with ECA Group (now Exail), which won the contract in 2019. The programme covers twelve mine countermeasures vessels for the Belgian Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy, built with Kership. Naval Group designs the ships, integrates them, and tests and commissions the mission system. The programme's drone toolbox totals about one hundred drones. Each vessel carries Inspector 125 USVs, A18 AUVs, T18 towed sonars, Seascan and K-Ster mine identification and disposal systems, and UMS Skeldar V200 aerial drones.
Naval Group plans a centre of excellence for drones, autonomous systems and underwater weapons at La Londe-les-Maures in southern France, due for completion by 2027. It is meant to group R&D, engineering, prototyping, assembly and a sea-trials centre on one site.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
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Contact Naval Group
WEBSITE
https://www.naval-group.com/enHEADQUARTERS
France
Company Facts
Founded
1631
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Europe
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
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