What is the SERO-400? HENSOLDT’s Submarine Periscope and Turkey Contract
Underwater, what you cannot see can kill you. HENSOLDT’s SERO-400 optronic search periscope equips submarines with thermal imaging, daylight TV, and laser ranging capability in a single mast-mounted system. Its most documented export contract is the approximately EUR 40 million agreement signed in August 2019 with Turkish company STM for eight SERO-400 units destined for four Turkish Navy Preveze Class (Type 209) submarines.
Product Identity
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | HENSOLDT AG |
| Type | Optronic Search Periscope |
| Sensors | Thermal imager, TV camera, laser rangefinder |
| Platform | Submarine |
| User | Turkish Navy (Preveze Class, Type 209) |
| Turkey contract | August 2019, ~EUR 40 million, via STM |
Turkey Contract Details
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Customer | Turkish Navy (via STM) |
| Contract date | August 2019 |
| Contract value | ~EUR 40 million |
| Units | 8 SERO-400 periscopes |
| Platform | 4 Preveze Class (Type 209) submarines |
| Prior HENSOLDT-STM projects | AY-class (SERO-250), Agosta upgrade |
HENSOLDT’s own press statement described this as “already our third project with STM,” confirming a sustained industrial cooperation that predates the 2019 contract. Open-source reporting further indicates HENSOLDT-STM discussions in the context of Turkey’s domestically built Reis-class submarines (Type 214 program), though no contract has been publicly confirmed.
