Sea Ceptor provides a powerful shield against airborne
threats, including hostile combat jets, helicopters and
other missiles, and has been developed and manufactured
through Ministry of Defence contracts worth around £850m.
It will be carried by the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates,
and has been successfully demonstrated through a trials and
test firing campaign that started last year. Most recently,
Plymouth-based HMS became the third ship
to test fire the system.
Defence Secretary said:
Sea Ceptor will protect our nation against the
intensifying threats we face today and in the future,
giving our ships a powerful shield against everything
from supersonic missiles to enemy fighter jets.
Fitting our warships with this ground-breaking technology
not only protects our Navy but shows we are world leaders
at sea. HMS Argyll will be the first ship to deploy with
this cutting-edge system when she heads to support peace
and security in the Asia Pacific region later this year.
The announcement, made at the RUSI Sea Power Conference in
London, follows detailed analysis of data gathered during
the first of class firing trials by HMS Argyll, which took
place last year. HMS Westminster and HMS , the second and third
ships to be fitted with Sea Ceptor, have since also carried
out successful firings.
Sea Ceptor has been designed and manufactured by MBDA and
is directly supporting 600 jobs in Bristol, Stevenage and
Bolton as part of the Team Complex Weapons partnering
agreement between MOD and MBDA.
The first firings of Sea Ceptor were conducted from HMS
Argyll at the Hebrides range off the coast of Scotland and
saw the system tested against a range of complex scenarios
– including engaging multiple targets at once.
Sea Ceptor is a major improvement on the existing Seawolf
missile system which is being replaced. It offers improved
performance against current and projected future threats,
the ability to engage multiple targets, and allows the
frigates to protect escorted vessels. The system is to be
fitted to the Royal Navy’s new Type 26 frigates.
Richard Smart, Director Weapons for the MOD’s procurement
organisation Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S),
said:
Sea Ceptor’s entry into service with the Royal Navy is a
significant milestone, a massive achievement for everyone
involved and a proud moment for the team.
It’s really exciting to be delivering a new capability
that will form part of the protection for the new
aircraft carriers and will help to keep our service
personnel and our country safe.
Recently, HMS took part in the third
test firing of the system and successfully intercepted a
fast-moving drone target. Within seconds of the missile
bursting from the ship’s silo, the simulated threat was
destroyed.
Commander Conor O’Neill, the Commanding Officer of HMS
, said:
The test firing we carried out represents the successful
culmination of a great deal of hard work by many people
from Babcock, the Short Range Air Defence team, DE&S,
MBDA and the Royal Navy.
I am extremely proud of my ship’s company for their
professional attitude which enabled the test firing to go
so smoothly. This missile system represents a
vastly-improved capability for the Royal Navy, and puts
us ahead of the game in being able to defend ourselves
and our new aircraft carriers from threat.
