Nexter Narwhal
| Company type | Naval weapon system |
|---|---|
| Industry | Defense |
| Founder | Nexter |
| Products | Remotely controlled naval artillery turret |
The Nexter Narwhal is a remotely controlled naval artillery turret developed by the French manufacturer Nexter. It incorporates a 20 mm autocannon, which is a derivative of the Nexter M621 and the M693. The acronym "Narwhal" stands for "NAval Remote Weapon, Highly Accurate, Lightweight". This system is intended for deployment on a wide range of warships, from small patrol vessels to large aircraft carriers, primarily serving close-in self-defense roles.
Design
Nexter provides two distinct versions of the Narwhal:
- Narwhal 20A, which utilizes the Nexter M621 cannon and fires 20×102mm ammunition;
- Narwhal 20B, based on the Nexter 20 mm modèle F2 gun, firing 20×139mm rounds—this variant is adopted by the French Navy.
The turret is equipped with electro-optical sensors enabling both daytime and nighttime targeting, complemented by a motion tracking feature. It offers full 360° rotation in azimuth and an elevation range from +75° down to -20°. The stabilized weapon system allows rapid engagement of nearby threats.
France
Within the French Navy, the Narwhal system is installed on multiple ship classes. On larger vessels, it functions as a secondary defensive armament, whereas on smaller ships it may serve as the primary weapon.
Secondary armament
Although the FREMM class was designed to accommodate Narwhal turrets, early ships such as Aquitaine were initially delivered without them. The first FREMM to receive a Narwhal after completion was Normandie in 2013; this ship was subsequently renamed Tahya Misr and transferred to Egypt in 2015 before entering French service. Later FREMM frigates, beginning with Provence, were fitted with Narwhal during construction. On these frigates, the Narwhal integrates with the Herakles radar through the combat management system, enhancing response speed.
The Mistral class helicopter carriers underwent refits to incorporate Narwhal systems: Dixmude (L9015) in 2016, Tonnerre (L9014) in 2017, and Mistral (L9013) in 2018.
During a 2019 refit aimed at countering asymmetric threats, three Narwhal turrets were installed on the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle. Although modifications for Narwhal integration occurred during a 2017–2018 refit, budgetary limitations delayed their actual installation.
The air defense frigates of the Horizon class replaced their original manually operated 20 mm F2 autocannons with three Narwhal mounts: on Forbin in 2018 and Chevalier Paul in 2019.
Plans also include equipping the forthcoming frégates de défense et d’intervention with Narwhal systems.
Primary armament
For the three Confiance-class patrol boats commissioned since 2016, Narwhal serves as their main weapon. The lead vessel Confiance was the first French patrol boat outfitted with this system. Its fire control ensures that warning shots are deliberately fired off-target for safety.
Additionally, the January 2020 design for Patrouilleur Outre-mer vessels specifies Narwhal guns as principal bow weapons.
Export Customers
- : The frigate Tahya Misr (ex-Normandie) is equipped with two Narwhal 20B systems.
- Albanian Coast Guard: Four Narwhal 20A units were delivered between 2017 and 2018 for four Damen-built STAN 4207 patrol boats to upgrade previous armament shortcomings.
- : The main armament on 38 HSI 32 fast attack craft produced by CMN, originally intended for the Lebanese Navy; the first vessel was launched in July 2019.
- : Four Narwhal 20A turrets ordered in 2014 for four Raidco RPB20 patrol boats along with one unit for an OPV 50 offshore patrol vessel constructed by Piriou.
- : Three Narwhal systems acquired for three Piriou OPV 58 S patrol boats ordered in November 2019; the first was launched in April 2022.
- : Several Narwhal installations (both 20A and 15A variants) are fitted on patrol vessels including 42-Tabarja (ex-Y838 Bergen/Todendorf class), 308-Nakoura (ex-Bremen 9/Fassmer FPB 20), and 307-Sarafand (Attacker class).