The new ATAS (Active Towed Array Sonar) sonar, the smallest and most powerful active and passive underwater sensor currently available on the market, was presented today at the Euronaval Show. Developed by Leonardo-Finmeccanica as part of the Italian fleet modernization program as envisaged by the "Naval Law" - which sees the company responsible for supplying and integrating all the systems on board the new units, including the combat unit even under the surface - the apparatus allows to detect the presence, position and characteristics of targets at very great distance.
The device, developed on the basis of a specific requirement of the Italian Navy for equipping the new Multi-Purpose Offshore Patrol boats, can be used in combat operations under the surface at different depths up to over 300 meters. Other distinctive features are the significantly reduced size and weight compared to the active sonar of the same product range: approximately one meter in length for less than eight tons of system weight as a whole. Furthermore, the ATAS is able to guarantee high performance in terms of discovery, which in the ocean exceed the first area of acoustic convergence, ie approximately 40 kilometers away in the Atlantic in some seasons of the year.
The system uses low and medium frequencies and simultaneously ensures panoramic surveillance in active and passive modes, guaranteeing the acquisition and recording of the target data, as well as its interception. The new device also automatically extracts the acoustic characteristics of the targets and, after a comparison process with the database data, is able to quickly identify the threat.
ATAS is the result of Leonardo's long experience in the sector, valuing approximately 150 years of technological know-how in underwater defense systems with products already selected and in service in over 30 countries around the world.
