Thread by @VLS_Appreciator

🧵Short thread while im posting on the French Navy to talk about the FDI's fancy integrated mast. 1/10

The Panoramic Sensor and Intelligence Module (PSIM) is a fully integrated mast hosting coms, EW, radars but also the entire Combat Information Center ! 2/10

This approach was pioneered by Naval Group on the Gowind class to save construction time 3/10

While less complex it already hosted radars and coms elements as well as the CIC, communication center, crypography and the coms transmition rooms. 4/10

The FDI's PSIM is significantly more complex with dozens of antennas from ESM to powerful AESA radar arrays. Integrating all this together while avoiding interferences was a difficult puzzle. Image by @christosKoffas 6/10

The PSIM being a single block allows for parrallel construction with the hull, early ground testing and integration to de-risk further trials. 7/10

This is part of a wider strategy by Naval Group to accelerate surface vessel production at its Lorient shipyard. 8/10

Once fully built and tested the PSIM is delicately slotted directly into the hull's heart. 9/10

While the FDI's first in class, Amiral Ronarc'h, suffered some inital delays, the construction of the following units (5x for France and 3/4 for Greece) is well underway at a good pace. Naval Group seems to have commited to this original but effective tehcnique. 10/10

Hope you have enjoyed this little thread ! @D__Mitch @800Tonnes @M51_4ever @xaviervav @navalgroup @FRHoffmann1 @heatloss1986 @Doha104p3 @ThrustWR @John_A_Ridge @StrategicTrends @MassiasThanos @VLO225