IN Brief:
- Safran and MSI have signed a Franco-British integration agreement covering SEAHAWK naval and TERRAHAWK land weapon systems.
- An initial NATO European navy contract specifies VIGEO sights on SEAHAWK DS30M 30 mm mounts.
- Deliveries are due in 2027, while the wider land and naval collaboration remains a development and marketing arrangement.
Safran Electronics & Defense and MSI-Defence Systems have agreed to integrate French optronic targeting equipment with British naval and land gun systems, supported by an initial naval customer contract. The agreement, announced on 4 November 2026, covers Safran sights for MSI’s SEAHAWK maritime and TERRAHAWK land weapon families, with the first contracted installations intended for mine countermeasure vessels operated by a European NATO navy.
MSI has secured the initial order for SEAHAWK DS30M 30 mm gun mounts equipped with Safran’s VIGEO sighting system. Deliveries are planned for 2027, although the partners have not identified the customer, order value, number of mounts, or precise delivery sequence. The contract is separate from the wider memorandum of understanding, which establishes a framework for developing and marketing additional equipment combinations.
Safran’s VIGEO is a stabilised optronic sight for day and night target acquisition, ranging, and gunfire control. The naval version will sit directly on the SEAHAWK mount, giving the sensors a mechanical reference aligned with the gun’s movement. The arrangement joins target observation to the weapon installation, although accurate engagement still requires a suitable fire-control solution and information about target and platform motion.
At sea, the line of sight has to remain stable as a vessel rolls and pitches. The gun mount must then respond to target movement, measured range, ballistic calculations, and orders from the ship’s fire-control system. The paired gun and sight therefore have both mechanical and electronic interfaces to validate, especially when the vessel’s own movement changes during tracking or firing.
The standard VIGEO product specification lists two-axis stabilisation, a cooled thermal imager in the 3–5 micrometre band, and a laser rangefinder with a stated reach exceeding 4.5 kilometres. Safran developed that product family for land platforms and has announced a version adapted to naval use. Detailed environmental qualification and the final performance specification for the contracted maritime installation have not been disclosed.
The initial order places the 30 mm mounts aboard mine countermeasure vessels. Shipboard layout is particularly important for these platforms because defensive weapons must coexist with the sensors, launch equipment, and handling arrangements needed for mine warfare. Integration will depend on deck space, power and data connections, and interfaces with each ship’s combat system; the customer navy has not been publicly named.
MSI’s published SEAHAWK DS REMOTE family uses sealed equipment and a mounting arrangement that does not penetrate the deck. It offers stabilisation and interfaces with external fire-control and combat management systems. Those features explain the manufacturer’s approach to naval installation, but the exact mechanical and electronic configuration of the newly ordered DS30M mounts has not been specified.
The memorandum also covers Safran sights for MSI’s TERRAHAWK land systems. Reusing elements of an optronic product family could simplify support and operator training, although land and maritime installations impose different requirements for stabilisation, environmental protection, electrical services, and integration with host platform controls. Subsequent customer orders will determine which combinations move beyond the present agreement.
Safran lists PASEO and VIGY 4 alongside VIGEO in the sighting portfolio available to MSI. Its Skyjacker system supplies a different, electronic counter-drone response through jamming or remote takeover. The announced naval customer has ordered VIGEO-equipped gun mounts, while the other sensor families and electronic defeat equipment remain options within the wider collaboration.
A counter-drone gun engagement begins with detection and classification before a target track reaches the weapon system. Optical and thermal sensing help an operator identify and follow an aircraft, while radar or another sensor may supply the earlier warning. The combined system must carry target information through the fire-control chain, authorise an engagement, and direct the mount; those functions depend on the equipment fitted to the customer vessel.
The two companies must now deliver an integrated sight and gun installation for the initial naval buyer. Mechanical alignment, software interfaces, stabilisation, power, environmental tests, and production acceptance all form part of preparing such a system for shipboard installation. The companies have reported the contract and planned deliveries, rather than completion of trials aboard the customer’s vessels.
Delivery of the VIGEO-equipped SEAHAWK mounts is scheduled for 2027. The first installation will establish how the naval configuration performs alongside the chosen ship’s controls and combat system. Further adoption of Safran sights on TERRAHAWK and other SEAHAWK configurations will depend on additional engineering work and separate customer commitments.
