THALES
New sonar system selected for future River-class destroyers
By Trident Staff
A new sonar system has been selected for the Royal Canadian Navy’s future River-class destroyers, with Thales Canada and Lockheed Martin Canada announcing an agreement related to the ships’ anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
According to a recent Thales Canada press release, the company has been awarded a contract by Lockheed Martin Canada to supply its Sonar 2087 (S2087) towed array sonar system for the River-class destroyer fleet currently under development through Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.
The S2087 is a low-frequency towed array sonar designed to detect and track submarines at long ranges in both coastal and open-ocean environments. Thales says the system is already in service with the British Royal Navy and has also been selected for Australia’s Hunter-class frigates.
“The S2087 adds a critical layer of capability to the River-class destroyers, ensuring Canada’s surface combatants are equipped to operate effectively in contested maritime environments,” said Ian Krepps, Chief Executive Officer of Thales Canada, in the press release.
The company says the sonar belongs to its CAPTAS family of systems, which has been adopted by 20 navies worldwide. Thales also states that the addition of the S2087 will strengthen the future ships’ anti-submarine warfare sensor suite and support interoperability with allied navies, including Five Eyes and NATO partners.
Lockheed Martin Canada serves as the Combat Systems Integrator for the River-class destroyer program, leading a team of industry partners responsible for delivering the ships’ integrated combat management and sensor systems in coordination with Irving Shipbuilding, the prime contractor for the new ships.
The announcement also notes that Thales plans to work with Canadian industry partners to support the sonar systems throughout their service life, with maintenance and future upgrades intended to be carried out within Canada.
The River-class destroyers are expected to become the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy’s surface fleet in the coming decades, replacing both the Halifax-class frigates and the retired Iroquois-class destroyers. Based on the United Kingdom’s Type 26 design, the ships are being built at Irving Shipbuilding’s Halifax Shipyard, where production of the future HMCS Fraser, the first vessel in the class, began in 2025.
