Navy

£44m Contract Awarded For Royal Navy Navigation Radar System

The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £44 million contract for a new Royal Navy navigation radar system to Lockheed Martin UK.

More than 60 Royal Navy ships, submarines and shore facilities will be fitted with new sensor-based technology by engineers based in Hampshire.

The Naval Vigilance Radar software will be fitted to the Royal Navy’s Type 23 Frigates, Hunt and Sandown Class Mine Counter Measure Vessels, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Vessels, fast patrol boats and Astute, Trafalgar and Vanguard-class submarines.

Five shore facilities will also receive the new technology, which is described as providing a "highly reliable and safe collision avoidance system". It will be fitted onto vessels over the next five years during periods of routine maintenance.

The Vanguard-class submarines will be among the vessels to receive the new technology

The new Naval Radar Programme has been developed to operate alongside the Royal Navy’s Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System (WECDIS) and will include a common maritime data processing environment.

Peter Ruddock, Chief Executive of Lockheed Martin UK, said:

"The Naval Radar Programme solution uses the very latest sensor technology to provide the Royal Navy with safe, low maintenance and reliable navigation radar capability."

The defence contractor added that the deal will sustain 14 jobs at Lockheed Martin’s Havant facility and create five additional roles in the company.

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