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RAMSES EW Suite Upgrade for Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-class Frigates


The Canadian department of national defence announced that the Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-class frigates will be getting two upgrades related to electronic warfare (EW) and countermeasures. The Halifax-class frigates possess a number of systems and platforms that respond to various types of threats. The frigates also employ a number of counter-measures to protect themselves. As armament continues to evolve, so must these defense systems.


RAMSES EW Suite Upgrade for Royal Canadian Navys Halifax class FrigatesHer Majesty's Canadian Ship Fredericton off Norfolk, Virginia, in November 2014. File photo: Lt(N) Jennifer Fidler, Royal Canadian Navy


The Reprogrammable Advance Multimode Shipboard Electronic Countermeasures System (RAMSES) is an electronic attack system that protects the modernized Halifax-class frigates against radio frequency guided missiles. RAMSES employs jamming signals to trick and distract anti-ship missiles (ASM) from hitting the ship. Through a contract with Lockheed Martin Canada, key parts of RAMSES will undergo a comprehensive technology refresh. The contract also secures repair, overhaul, engineering changes, and ongoing support services.This work will ensure the system remains relevant and capable for the life of the Halifax-class frigates.

Along with RAMSES, MASS is an integral part of the anti-ship missile defence suite in the Halifax-class frigates. It is a firing system used to launch decoys to protect vessels against anti-ship missiles guided by radio-frequency, laser, and infrared seekers. The Halifax-class frigates currently possess a two-launcher configuration. Through a contract with Rheinmetall Canada, the Royal Canadian Navy will enhance this configuration to a three-launcher configuration. This will augment the protection of the Canadian multi-role frigates to 360° coverage and improve defensibility from modern threats in a variety of situations.

Navy Recognition previously mentionned the MASS contract award.