Defense company Thales Group has launched the Expeditionary PathMaster system, an AI-enabled solution built around an innovative expeditionary portable operations center (e-POC) that allows naval forces to conduct full mine countermeasures missions anywhere in the world.
The system, originally developed for and delivered to the French Navy, is designed as a scalable and interoperable solution that can be deployed from harbour to open sea. It can be operated from shore, small boats such as rigid inflatable boats, mine-hunting vessels, or other platforms.
Expeditionary PathMaster has also been tested with the Lithuanian Navy, demonstrating its ability to integrate third-party assets, including autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and conventional minehunters through a portable operations center.
Mine countermeasures systems are designed to enable navies to detect, classify, localise and identify underwater mines, and neutralise them when required, including in complex environments and in real time.
According to Thales Group, its Mi-Map sonar analysis application uses artificial intelligence to process sonar data up to four times faster than conventional tools, with classification accuracy reaching 99%. The company added that its M-Cube mission management system uses AI to oversee multiple simultaneous sonar analysis sessions, providing real-time updates on progress and detected objects.
“As seas become increasingly contested and navies face unexpected threats and challenges, mine countermeasures have become a key discipline to ensure the sovereignty and safety of critical infrastructures and sea lines of communication. At Thales, we’re ahead of the curve. Expeditionary PathMaster is a turnkey game-changer: modular, scalable, and powered by artificial intelligence,” said Sébastien Guérémy , Vice President of Underwater Systems, Thales .
Thales Group said it has delivered autonomous, cyber-secure drone systems currently in service with the French Navy and the Royal Navy, and added that it has also been selected by the Republic of Singapore Navy.