How are you adapting to evolving threats?
This is an unprecedented context, particularly what is happening in the Red Sea. The navies, in particular the national navy, were called upon to intervene to defend commercial ships against ballistic missiles, against aerial drones, against naval drones. It's new. The boats we delivered did the job with absolutely incredible crews. The FREMM (multi-mission) frigates and anti-aircraft defense frigates which were designed some time ago were capable of intercepting drones and ballistic missiles. But we can clearly see that we will have to go further against these threats which are becoming extremely serious. The threat of surface, underwater or aerial drones is obviously the one that hits the hardest. In the Red Sea, but also in the Black Sea, we saw what happened with the Russian fleet.
Where does innovation occur in your products?
There are innovations at several levels. In the fight against drones, it is the ability to detect them. These are optronic sensors to see day and night, radar sensors. There is a lot of work with our partners on algorithms, data, data processing, artificial intelligence to see more clearly in a busy environment. There is a part of innovation around the capacity of destruction. Naval Group presented during the Euronaval show, “the versatile modular launcher”, a system allowing the ship to be equipped at the same time with several types of launchers such as rockets, missiles, but also more elaborate decoys or jamming systems. These are materials that can be used to counter the threat of drones, and in particular drones which are coming in large numbers.
The use of drones is increasingly massive, how is Naval Group positioned in this market?
Our ships must be able to be protected against a drone threat, but at the same time, we must also be capable of developing them. We are absolutely convinced that, tomorrow, drones will work collaboratively. They will never replace manned ships, combat ships or submarines. On the other hand, they will allow these ships to have an expanded capacity.
How can we explain the craze for submarines all over the world?
There were a lot of submarine contracts in the 80s and 90s, and therefore there is a renewal. Modern submarines are more efficient, particularly in what is called acoustic discretion, that is to say the noise radiated underwater. There is also the need to defend its territories, its economic zones, common spaces which can be contested. The presence of a submarine is a threat over an extremely large area, because we do not know where it is. It is a weapon of protection, of dissuasion, and an offensive weapon too, which undoubtedly explains the interest of a certain number of nations.
How do you position yourself regarding Canada's call for tenders?
Canada has started an information search procedure. Interested companies will have to respond in November. And, therefore, during the month of November, you will know what the response that Naval Group will give. The coming weeks will be interesting because they will allow us to better understand how Canada is going to organize its search for information (…) Once they have seen what the industry can offer, there will be a more precise specification. precise and there, a real competition.
And the contract for frigate deliveries to Norway?
It's a bit the same. Norway will publish, in a few weeks, a short list, with the suppliers they will look at. The coming weeks, too, are going to be extremely interesting.
