The first of the next-generation electronic warfare systems has rolled off the production line as final tests and upgrades are made, the Royal Navy unveiled.
As disclosed, the Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC) will provide a sensor upgrade to the navy’s existing electronic warfare capability.
The first production model has been set to work at Elbit Systems UK facility in Bristol. At the same time, the updated combat management system has been delivered to Portsdown Technology Park overlooking Portsmouth to complete the software development.
MEWSIC is one-half of the overarching upgrade to the Surface Fleet’s electromagnetic warfare capability under the Maritime Electronic Warfare Program (MEWP). The other is a ‘trainable’ launcher for EW decoys to confuse anti-ship missiles, Ancilia.
The £135 million system, which will replace Seagnat on existing destroyers and future frigates, swivels rapidly and adjusts the angle at which the decoy rounds are fired to maximize their effectiveness, ‘something its predecessor cannot do’, according to the navy.
What takes anti-ship missile defense to the next level is the integration of Ancilia with MEWSIC’s Electromagnetic Warfare Command and Control. It’s a new capability that will allow the automatic fusion of detected electromagnetic emissions with the tactical picture to give the team in the ops room increased situational awareness, helping them to better understand the operational environment.
For all the tech, some things still need to be done manually, notably loading and reloading Ancilia with decoy rounds, which falls, as with Seagnat, to a ship’s electronic warfare specialists.
MEWSIC will be installed on current and future major surface warships: Queen Elizabeth-class carriers, Type 45 destroyers, and the future Type 26/31 frigates. When ready for installation with MEWSIC, two Ancilia systems will be fitted to each Type 26, 31, and 45.
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