More than 200 UK jobs will be supported through a new contract to
boost the Royal Navy's warship combat systems and increase their
ability to track, analyse and respond to threats in
combat.
The contract, worth £285 million, has been awarded to BAE
Systems, to maintain and modernise vital combat management
systems (CMS) on Royal Navy vessels, including Type 23 frigates,
Type 45 destroyers, Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and
Type 26 frigates.
Such systems provide warship crews with all the information they
need to track, analyse and respond to threats in combat. The
contract will support hundreds of jobs across the
UK delivering on the government's Plan for Change.
The project, dubbed RECODE (Real-time Combat System Open Data
Enablers), will sustain more than 200 highly skilled UK jobs at
BAE Systems in Filton, Dorchester, New Malden, Frimley and
Portsmouth. It will also create additional investment in Small
Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and high-tech suppliers across the
UK.
The CMS is the primary method for Royal Navy operators to
interact with weapons and sensors. The system supports operators
in their Decide and Enable functions by providing a range of
tools including:
- Situation awareness
- Tactical picture
compilation
- Threat evaluation and weapon
assignment
- Navigation and blind
pilotage
- Weapon direction and control.
The upgrades announcement comes just a week after the Royal Navy was tracking a
Russian spy ship, Yantar, in British waters. The Royal Navy
was able to follow its every move before the Russian ship left
forthe Mediterranean waters. Crucial upgrades such as
RECODE will further improve the Royal Navy's crucial deterrence
capabilities.
This builds on the strategic aims of the Government's upcoming
Defence Industrial Strategy, aligning national security with a
high-growth economy to support the Plan for
Change.
The combat management systems provide Royal Navy crews with
essential situational awareness and operational capabilities. The
new contract builds on 25 years of BAE Systems' combat management
expertise supporting the Royal Navy.
The Government is developing a full Defence Industrial Strategy,
which the Defence Secretary launched in December, to ensure
Defence is an engine for UK growth.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
The core elements of RECODE include:
- Maintaining high levels of safety,
security and availability of combat systems across 20 Royal Navy
ships. Architectural and capability changes delivered directly to
the fleet to keep pace with the operational tempo.
- Delivering BAE Systems' INTeACT on
the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, Type 45 destroyers
and Type 26 frigates. The whole RECODE enterprise will adopt the
engineering principles of Development, Security and Operations
(DevSecOps), with security integrated at every phase of the
software development and operational lifecycle. This agile
methodology will deliver the best Combat Management System (CMS)
capability in the shortest amount of time.
Commodore Phil Game, Defence Equipment & Support
said:
- "This programme will ensure our
Royal Navy vessels have robust, future-ready combat systems. By
working closely with industry partners, we're not only enhancing
our naval capabilities but also supporting skilled jobs and
expertise in the UK defence sector."
- Architectural and capability
changes will be delivered directly to ships to keep pace with the
operational tempo. BAE Systems, DE&S and Navy Command will
work closer together in joint decision-making, increased
communication and collaboration between all parties.
Captain Kevin Miller, Royal Navy Combat Systems Design
Authority, said:
- "In today's challenging
battlespace, we must adapt and evolve rapidly. This programme
delivers the agility we need to maintain our military
advantage."
