IMDEX 2011: MEOS II targets Germany Navy

May 18, 2011 by Andrew White, SHEPARD GROUP

Singapore - The German Navy is expected to receive 'dozens' of Carl Zeiss Maritime Electro-Optical Systems (MEOS) later this year, according to industry sources. Speaking to Shephard at the biennial International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) in Singapore, sources said the German Navy was currently negotiating a contract with Carl Zeiss for an undisclosed number of MEOS II systems. The company was unable to comment on the deal but business development executive Christel Sven Harms told Shephard that the navy would be in a position to operate MEOS II alongside Rheinmetall Defence's in-service Multi-Sensor Platform (MSP) 500 and MLG 27 Light Naval Gun System. A source said interested parties were currently in the process of organising a contract with aspirations to deploy the systems later in the year. However, Harms was unable to confirm which navy vessels the MEOS II systems would be deployed on. He added that the MEOS II systems would be able to network information to and from MSP 500s via the Combat Management System and described a basic concept of operations which would see targets of interest identified by radar before being handed over to MEOS II for closer inspection. First developed for German Army Puma infantry fighting vehicles, MEOS is also used in stand-along configuration at German forward operating bases in Afghanistan. Having been ruggedised for salt water operations, MEOS is currently deployed on German homeland security vessels. MEOS II comprises a thermal imager, day sight CCD zoom camera and laser rangefinder, and is capable of identifying targets up to 60km away. Looking ahead, Harms said Carl Zeiss was looking to increase its high frequency laser requirements from 6hz up to 20hz in order to allow target acquisition of missiles. However, he conceded that such a development could take between two and four years. To date, MEOS II systems have proven capable of acquiring and tracking Eurofighter Typhoon and Tornado aircraft.