Firing ESSM and SM2 block III.

The Royal Netherlands Navy held live missile firing tests onboard the LCF frigate De Zeven Provincien. The tests were the world's first live firings with the Interrupted Continuous Wave Illumination (ICWI) class missiles; the ESSM and SM2 block III. Thales Nederland developed and built the Apar and Smart-L radar systems used in the tests, and both the company's AAW system and the ICWI concept were developed in the international Tri-lateral Frigate Co-operation formed by the Netherlands, Germany and Canada. The new ICWI concept allows the user to simultaneously control multiple missiles with one Apar radar, whereas earlier systems require separate radars for each engaged target. The actual firings were prepared during trials at the Land Based Test Site and on board the Royal Netherlands Navy's LCF and the Germany Navy F124 Sachsen, which is also equipped with the Thales AAW system. Further testing will be performed during the first-of-class firings from the Sachsen in the Summer of 2004.