Israeli companies to supply ship-defense suite to European frigate
Defence News
By Tzally Greenberg
18 March 2025
Israel's Rafael has developed C-GEM, a shipborne active off-board decoy for countering anti-ship missiles. (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems)
JERUSALEM — Rafael and Elbit Systems will supply a European NATO country with electronic countermeasures for protecting frigates from ship-killing missiles, the companies announced on Monday.
The systems in question amount to an integrated solution from both companies, featuring Elbit’s DESEAVER MK-4 decoy control and launching system (DCLS), along with a range of Rafael’s countermeasures.
Rafael’s passive and active decoy countermeasures were designed to neutralize threats such as advanced Anti-Ship Missile (ASM) seekers, the companies said in a statement. And Elbit’s equipment provides a maritime electronic warfare capability for repelling complex missile attacks.
The integrated system “fires various types of decoy rounds from multiple launchers to counter simultaneous threats, positioning it as the fourth generation of naval EW dispensing systems that enhance soft-kill anti-missile defense capabilities,” the firms said.
The announcement did not name the buyer governments nor the deal amount, and company officials declined to elaborate. But the announcement mentions that the contract is set to be executed over a period of four years, and that it includes the delivery of systems for 5 vessels.
One possible client combo is the Netherlands and Belgium. The two countries announced a purchase of two anti-submarine frigates each in April 2023, built by Damen shipyard and Thales for the electronics.
The first Dutch frigate is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2029, while Belgium is scheduled to receive its first vessel in the second half of 2030.