Ukraine’s Ministry of Dense, in July 2021, contracted the German company Atlas Elektronik to supply three more sonars of the Cerberus Mod2 diver detection system (DDS) at an estimated worth of EUR 6 million, according to the French-based defense news website MENA Defense
Developed by the British subsidiary ATLAS ELEKTRONIK UK, the Cerberus Mod2 sonar serves to protect military vessels from under-water threats by alerting the operators to the presence of hostile divers, swimmers, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) or Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDVs).
The system can be operated remotely from the ship’s bridge as well as from a processing and display unit below deck.
By positioning several sonars at suitable locations in harbours, wide expanses can be monitored and large numbers of vessels protected. The DDS automatically compensates for ship motion.
Cerberus displays the surrounding area on a sea chart. The position and bearing of the host ship are updated constantly. Once initialized, the DDS generates a visual and acoustic alert to warn against targets approaching in the water.
Thanks to its low weight of 23 kilograms and compact construction, the system can be deployed without the need for a crane or davit; its components can easily be carried and operated by one person.
It has been revealed that at least two Cerebrus Mod2 DDS sonars had been purchased in early 2019, presumably for use on the Ukrainian Navy’s Project 58155 Giurza-M-class armored gun boats and Project 58503 Centaur-LK-class assault landing craft.
Information is so far unavailable on how many Cerebrus Mod2 DDS sonars have been purchased for the Ukrainian Navy’s use, but some had been spotted deployed with Navy vessels during drills held in November 2019.
