Thales has achieved a major milestone with the delivery of its 100th Combined Active-Passive Towed Array Sonar (CAPTAS), a system that has become a cornerstone of global anti-submarine warfare operations. Designed for both deep and shallow-water environments, CAPTAS provides 360-degree long-range acoustic detection using active and passive sensors. The system can identify submarines and other underwater threats from distances exceeding 60 kilometers, giving naval forces valuable early warning and response time. CAPTAS is deployed across 17 navies, including those of France, Italy, the UK, and the US, and has become integral to NATO’s coordinated undersea surveillance framework. The modular sonar suite can be installed on a wide variety of vessels—from corvettes and frigates to large destroyers and even unmanned surface vehicles—thanks to its compact, containerized mission module. This flexibility allows quick adaptation to evolving operational needs without extensive shipyard modifications. CAPTAS also integrates with other Thales solutions such as hull-mounted sonars, FLASH dipping sonar, and SonoFlash sonobuoys for a unified multi-sensor defense architecture. Featuring cybersecurity safeguards and AI-driven data analysis tools, the system enhances situational awareness and reduces operator workload. The intelligent processing suite provides real-time threat classification and tracking, enabling faster decision-making. With its proven reliability, CAPTAS continues to strengthen global maritime security and exemplifies Europe’s technological leadership in undersea warfare systems.
