Naval RWS Remote Weapon Station Sea deFNder FN Herstal

Remotely Controlled Operated Weapon Station for Ships/Vessels Belgium

The Sea deFNder is small caliber stabilized Remote Weapon Station (RWS) or Remotely Controlled Operated Weapon Station especially developed and designed to be used on sea conditions ant that can be mounted on ships or vessels. The Sea deFNder was unveiled at Euronaval in October 2014, International Naval Defense Exhibition that was held in Paris, France. This is the third model in the deFNder® remote weapon stations range, produced by the world’s leading firearms manufacturer, FN Herstal. Engineered for use by naval forces and coastguards, it follows the innovative deFNder® Light and the deFNder® Medium into global service. The Sea deFNder® is the latest example of constant innovation in weapons development by FN Herstal, which has a history dating back 125 years. Its exceptional service packages include everything its customers require for rapid deployment of its Sea deFNder®. This includes associated weapon(s), ammunition, technical documentation, technical support, operator’s and maintenance training, and installation of the RWS onto the vessel. The Naval Remote Weapon Station (RWS) Sea deFNder is already in service with the Belgian Navy mounted on P901 Castor en P902 Pollux Coastal Patrol Vessel. In the future, two Sea deFNder will be also mounted on the new mine counter measures (MCM) vessels, one mine counter measures (MCM), one on the port-side bridge wing while the second RWS is found at the stern, starboard side, on a dedicated platform placed right below the helicopter deck and above the aft deck.

RWS Remote Weapon Station Sea deFNder variants:

The Sea deFNder RWS Naval Remote Weapon Station can be armed with a 5.56mm or 7.62mm machine gun, or a 12.7mm heavy machine gun. 

Design and description

The Sea deFNder® RWS Remote Weapon Station shares many features of the deFNder® Medium used on land-based vehicles. The Sea deFNder consists of one aluminum weapon mount and universal cradle which is designed to host different types of machine guns including the 5.56mm MINIMI, the 7.62mm MAG or the 12.7mm FN M2HB-QCB. It can be also armed with one 40mm automatic grenade launcher. Replacement of one machine gun with another one takes a few minutes, with no specific tools required. The Sea deFNder has special features to meet naval requirements such as specific surface treatment, 2-axis gyroscopic stabilization, improved water tightness and water flow. It is run from a host platform’s 18-32 V power supply. The turret weighs 250 kg with ammunition and 125 kg without ammunition and weapon. Traverse is electric through 360° and elevation is also electric from +73° to -42° depending on weapon type.

Accessories

The sight module of the Sea deFNder® RWS Remote Weapon Station includes CCD and IR thermal uncooled camera which can be used for day and night combat operations, mounted at the right side. One ammunition box is mounted at the left side with a capacity of 500 rounds of .50 caliber ammunition or 1,000 rounds of 7.62mm caliber ammunition. The sight module is available in two variants including a CCD camera + IR uncooled or CCD camera + IR cooled. The turret is connected to an operator console that can be controlled by a control handle consisting of one gamepad or a one-hand joystick. The operator interface features a display console for target identification and engagement, along with the single handle that controls sight selection, aiming and firing. The display unit integrates an LCD color screen which has a resolution of 1024x768 pixels.

Combat use

The Sea deFNder RWS Remote Weapon Station is specially designed to be integrated on naval platforms, this system provides defense capabilities for short and medium ranges with high firing accuracy being a reliable solution against asymmetric threats. This type of weapon system which is remotely operated with stabilized weapon mounts and their associated operator consoles is designed to replace the manually-fired of heavy machine gun mounts. The Sea deFNder® provides naval ships and coastguards with the advantage of superior firepower in any scenario. This includes territorial waters surveillance, self-defense, anti-piracy, anti-terrorism and the interception of drug or people smugglers. Its high modularity allows the Sea deFNder® to be mounted on a wide variety of naval vessels, from speed boats and patrollers right up to frigates and destroyers.

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