French procurement agency "integrated TOPSIDE": A technological shift in the naval domain

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EURONAVAL 2014 Show Daily - iFrench procurement agency (DGA) "Integrated Topside"
 
 
 
French procurement agency "integrated TOPSIDE": A technological shift in the naval domain
 
The French procurement agency (DGA) showcases the "Integrated Topside" on the stand of the French Ministry of Defence at Euronaval 2014. It is a study on an innovative concept: How to design a warship's superstructure for optimal distribution of its sensors, its transmission equipment and its jammers. Maximized stealth of the ship and combat system improvement are the expected benefits. This concept, developed by DCNS and Thales for the DGA, will see its first practical applications in the next decade.
     
Presentation of the "Integrated TOPSIDE" at EURONAVAL 2014 Presentation of the "Integrated TOPSIDE" at EURONAVAL 2014
     

The objectives of "integrated TOPSIDE" study are:

- Develop a new concept integrating a majority of ship equipment (sensors, weapons, communications systems
- Guarantee the nominal and simultaneous working of all the equipment in the combat system
- Enhance the stealth profile of navy ships
- Master overall electromagnetic compatibility from the earliest ship-design stages.

The technological challenges are:

- the definition of a concept enabling the sharing of antennae and functions
- the conception of shared functionnal and cooperative modes with new antennae (flat or conformal)
- the enhancement of the use of multi-function fixed panel radars (more efficient, faster) benefiting from the development of active antennae using gallium nitride technology
- the validation of the performance of new equipment within an integrated superstructure
- the validation of new technologies of composite materials.