The structure and machinery used in ships and submarines are made of ferromagnetic materials, which generate magnetic anomalies (magnetic indiscretion) as a result of the earth’s magnetic field. These anomalies can be detected by the sensors of underwater mines located along the coast or in ports as well as by embedded sensors in patrol aircraft.
A degaussing system protects naval platforms by significantly reducing the magnetic signature that leaves them open to detection and vulnerable to attack.
Ship degaussing involves surrounding the structure in all three dimensions with copper coils which have a bidirectional direct current flowing through them. The degaussing system’s amplifiers deliver current to each coil as calculated by the central unit. This generates the opposite magnetic field to that created by the ship or submarine as it travels through its environment (geographical position, heading, roll and pitch).
HENSOLDT France has designed MASK, a range of extremely reliable degaussing systems with centralised or decentralised architecture suitable for installation on new vessels (ships, aircraft carriers, submarines, etc.), retrofitting, or full replacement of outdated degaussing systems.
