Rheinmetall has secured a contract worth approximately 745 million kroner ($116 million) from Denmark’s arms procurement agency to equip the country’s Absalon-class and Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates with its Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS).
The agreement covers the procurement of five MASS decoy-launching systems under an initial seven-year term, with the option to extend the contract for up to 20 years. The associated framework agreement could reach a total value of 1.275 billion kroner ($198 million), including ammunition and long-term maintenance support.
Integration of the systems will be carried out in Korsør and Frederikshavn.
Denmark plans to deploy MASS across its two Absalon-class anti-submarine warfare frigates and three Iver Huitfeldt-class air-defense frigates. The new countermeasure capability will strengthen the ships’ protection against anti-ship missiles, laser-guided weapons and other sensor-based threats.
MASS Naval Protection System
The Multi Ammunition Softkill System is an off-board electronic countermeasure solution designed to protect naval platforms by launching multispectral Omni Trap decoys. These decoys are intended to disrupt the guidance systems of incoming missiles and divert them away from the targeted vessel.
MASS features automated decoy selection and deployment, taking into account environmental conditions such as wind, vessel navigation information and the characteristics of the incoming threat.
The system supports configurations of up to six launchers, with each launcher capable of holding as many as 32 decoys. Its modular design allows installation on platforms ranging from offshore patrol vessels to frigates, while enabling either standalone operation or integration with existing command-and-control and weapon-control systems.
