German naval leaders sought to upgrade their legacy, shipboard systems before deploying as the maritime component of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) international peacekeeping force off the coast of Lebanon. Their mission, according to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, was to help the Lebanese Army not only prevent the smuggling of weapons, but also protect its coast and border.

They found their solution at Sabtech Industries in Yorba Linda, Calif. Sabtech provided its PowerNet NTDS (Naval Tactical Data System) Gateway to the German navy. Sabtech’s international team coordinated this operational requirement with the German Naval Attaché assigned to the German Embassy in Washington and the U.S. Navy International Programs Office. It resulted in the U.S. State Department approval of an export license.

The German navy also upgraded the ship’s combat system by installing the Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) developed by Rheinmetall Waffe Munition (RWM). RWM in Germany is the main contractor and served as the integrator for this project. RWM commissioned ESG in Germany as subcontractor for creating a library based on a layer of a data interface. MASS is a computerized and trainable naval countermeasure system with ammunition that assures protection in all relevant wavebands (UV, EO, laser, infrared, and radar).

The flexibility provided by PowerNet enabled straightforward integration into a legacy combat system. A Sabtech NTDS Isolation Tap Box tapped the legacy combat system data. The PowerNet converted the MIL-STD-1397C data to TCP/IP/UDP for rapid insertion of the MASS Decoy Launching System on board naval vessels that lacked a countermeasures system.

Sabtech’s PowerNet NTDS Gateway can link NTDS devices to UNIX- or Windows-based systems over an Ethernet LAN, sending real-time NTDS data to systems not directly connected to NTDS I/O channels. The PowerNet server runs the NTDS operations with a real-time executive able to handle demanding NTDS requirements.

In the end, the rapid COTS insertion of PowerNet NTDS Gateways enabled the German navy to better safeguard their ship and crew for operations in hostile waters.

For more information, visit Sabtech Industries online at www.sabtech.com.