Naval integration and 2027 deliveries
The cooperation includes equipping mine countermeasure vessels for a European NATO navy, with initial equipment deliveries scheduled for 2027. The phased integration begins by pairing Safran's VIGEO stabilized gunner sight with MSI's SEAHAWK DS30M 30-millimeter gun mount.
The equipment connects to the ships' existing combat management and electrical distribution systems without requiring changes to the superstructure. Installation also involves adjusting turret-tracking settings for target acquisition coverage and compatibility with existing ammunition handling equipment.
The broader effort addresses the need to detect, track and engage unmanned aerial threats at sea and on land. Small radar signatures, short reaction windows, rapid sensor-data processing and environmental interference create challenges that require close integration between sights and weapon mounts.
Linking sensors to weapons
Safran's contribution covers daytime and nighttime observation equipment, stabilization algorithms and fire-control optronics. Its wider capabilities include infrared sensors, laser rangefinders and components for electronic warfare mitigation. MSI, which manufactures the SEAHAWK naval and TERRAHAWK land systems, handles installation on the mounts, including mechanical connections, electrical distribution and ballistic calculations.
Electro-optical sensors collect target data while inertial feedback keeps the line of sight stable. The integrated system supports gunfire engagements or electronic countermeasures using Skyjacker jamming subsystems. Standardized digital connections provide low-latency communication between the gunner's station and the weapon-control computer.
According to Safran, VIGEO is the naval version of its proven stabilized gunner sight. Its counter-drone sight family also includes PASEO and VIGY 4. Skyjacker complements those products, with Safran describing its capabilities as neutralizing unmanned threats through jamming or remote takeover.
Intended missions extend beyond ship protection to amphibious landing support and mobile land-based air defense. Applications include intercepting low-altitude drone swarms, engaging asymmetric surface threats and conducting persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in coastal waters.
The stated operational benefits include a gyro-stabilized line of sight, multispectral target identification when visibility is degraded and a shorter sensor-to-shooter interval. Direct integration of the optronic director and remote-controlled gun also provides higher first-round hit probabilities and improved protection against aerial threats.
The DS30M platform
The DS30M can carry light autocannons ranging from 25 to 40 millimeters, according to Naval News. Optional equipment includes a coaxial 7.62-millimeter machine gun or missile launchers. MSI offers DS Remote, DS A1 and DS A2 configurations, distinguished by their sensors and fire-control specifications.
Based in Norwich, England, MSI is described by Defence Blog as the only UK-based manufacturer of medium-caliber naval gun mounts. The company has exported its Seahawk 30-millimeter systems to more than 40 countries. The DS30M entered service in 2005 and has since been installed across much of the Royal Navy fleet.
U.S. and German naval programs
The Seahawk DS30M A2 is the basis for the U.S. Navy's MK 38 Mod 4 weapon system, which combines a 30-millimeter Mk 44 Bushmaster II cannon with electro-optical fire control. The Navy adopted the design to meet counter-UAS requirements, and MSI has received U.S. production and sight contracts for the system.
Germany has also selected the Seahawk 30-millimeter system. Naval News reports a £29.7 million contract, approximately US$40 million, covering 12 DS30M mounts for four F128 frigates.
On Germany's older F123 Brandenburg-class frigates, the mount is replacing the Rheinmetall MLG 27. That change is driven partly by the drone threat and the desire to use modern ammunition, including air-burst rounds, according to Naval News.
