UK: BAE Systems Signs USD 73.61 Million MFR Contract

BAE Systems has been awarded a six year, £46m contract to support the Sampson multi-function radars (MFR) on board the fleet of six Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyers. This support contract, awarded by MBDA, is designed as a forerunner to a full ‘contract for availability’ arrangement and will generate data on the radar’s performance which will enable a long-term support solution to be delivered to the Royal Navy.

The radars act as the ships’ eye in the sky, enabling them to detect and view objects on land, sea and in the air, as well as combining the roles of surveillance, dedicated tracking and weapon communication functions. This latest contract reinforces BAE Systems’ ability to effectively deliver support and services to armed forces customers across the land, sea and air sectors.

The new contract covers all of the Sampson radars, both in-service and on Type 45s that are yet to enter service. The contract provides technical support, a spares and repairs service as well as maintenance through the joint MBDA/BAE Systems waterfront team at the Type 45’s home port of Portsmouth Naval Base.

This will ensure that the BAE Systems’ team continues to work with MBDA and the Royal Navy as the design authority and technical helpdesk support for Sampson. The team will also provide ongoing support at the Maritime Integration and Support Centre (MISC) in Portsmouth and an MFR test facility at BAE Systems’ Cowes site on the Isle of Wight during the service life of each radar.

Sampson works as part of the Sea Viper air defence system, the Type 45’s principal anti-missile system and can deal with multiple targets including stealthy and sea skimming objects simultaneously, making Sea Viper the most advanced weapon system of its kind in the world. Sampson’s effectiveness has already proved hugely successful during the recent Sea Viper firing trials from onboard HMS Daring and HMS Dauntless, the first Type 45 Destroyers to enter service with the Royal Navy.

The contract follows a £6m,18 month contract awarded to BAE Systems in September 2010 to support the Long Range Radar (LRR) on the same ships, including those yet to enter service, and the MISC. The scope of this contract includes technical helpdesk support, corrective and preventative maintenance, repairs, design authority support and waterfront engineering capability in HM Portsmouth Naval Base, Portsmouth.

Richard Murray, Team Leader for the Ministry of Defence’s Medium Range Air Defence Project Team commented, “The radars on the Type 45 are fundamental to the ships’ ability to deliver the defence from airborne threats that our naval forces require. Both Sampson and the LRR have proved themselves more than capable of meeting the demands made of them and this support regime will maintain that capability as the Class comes into service.”

Les Gregory, Torpedoes, Radar and Manufacturing Director, BAE Systems Mission Systems, said, “These support contracts are designed to maintain high availability within tight cost constraints. As the Type 45s progressively enter service we look forward to supporting the Royal Navy with its surveillance and weapon control requirements for many decades.”

In addition to the radar support contracts BAE Systems was awarded the Joint Support Solution (JSS) contract worth £86m to provide a common support framework for the Combat Management System (CMS) on the Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates and RFA Argus, all of which are supplied by BAE Systems. The JSS extends efficiencies to new CMS deployments on future naval ships including the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers providing the Royal Navy with a cost effective long term support solution.
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Source: baesystems, June  28, 2011;