MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
News Release (164/2008) issued by The Government News Network on 16
July 2008
Support for the
Seawolf air defence missile system, which equips Royal Navy Type
22 and Type 23 frigates, is to be radically revamped under
contracts worth around £300M, Minister for Defence Equipment
Support Baroness Ann Taylor announced today.
Contracts have been awarded to BAE Systems Insyte and MBDA, under
the SWISS (Seawolf In Service Support) project to sustain the
capability of the Seawolf system and ensure its readiness and
improve its availability to the front-line fleet by at least 25
per cent over the next nine years.
BAE Systems Insyte and MBDA have been working together, and with
the MOD, over the past two years to develop the optimum Seawolf
support solution.
Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Taylor said:
"Seawolf is one of the most potent naval air-defence systems
in the world and with the roll-out of capability enhancements over
the next few years, it will continue to form the mainstay of the
defensive capability of the frigate fleet. The award of these
contracts demonstrates our long term partnership with industry to
ensure a flexible and more effective Seawolf support package for
the Royal Navy."
MoD Defence Equipment and Support Short Range Air Defence Team
Leader, Capt Brian Archibald said:
"The placing of the SWISS contracts is the culmination of an
enormous amount of hard work by the MOD and industry teams. It
will bring at least a 25% increase in system availability over the
life of the contracts, by bringing greater coherence to Seawolf
in-service support thus enabling much better through-life
decisions. The contracts will also make significant savings for
Defence - in excess of £40M, with both contractors incentivised to
deliver further efficiencies over the life of the contracts in
addition to extra incentives for additional availability improvements."
The SWISS project will measure industry's performance
against the availability of the weapon system to the fleet,
availability of missiles and results of test firings.
Notes to Editors
1. Seawolf is a proven naval close air defence system fitted to
Type 22 and Type 23 frigates offering an all-weather, day and
night point defence capability against a wide variety of air
threats such as fast sea-skimming and high-angle supersonic
missiles and strike aircraft.
2. Seawolf was first introduced into service with the Royal Navy
in 1979 and saw action in the Falklands conflict. Since then many
capability upgrades have been implemented maintaining Seawolf as
one of the most potent naval air-defence systems in the world.
3. More than 1,000 Seawolf missiles have been fired by the Royal
Navy to date.
4. Under SWISS, BAE Insyte and MBDA will work co-operatively
together with MoD to apply innovative support arrangements.
Industry will be fully responsible for managing stock levels
(including sparing and repair activities) to meet the overall
system availability requirements. There will be greater emphasis
on preventative action and Industry will manage the transition as
the new Block 2 Seawolf missile and Seawolf Mid-Life Update
(SWMLU) build standard is introduced across the Fleet. Missile
processing and preparation for outload onto ships will now be the
responsibility of MBDA, thus enabling more effective management of
the overall missile inventory.
5. Additionally, both BAES Insyte and MBDA will be responsible
for ensuring that the performance of the whole Seawolf system, as
measured by successful in service firings, is maintained
throughout the duration of the contract.
6. Work will be carried out by BAE Systems Insyte based at Broad
Oak, near Portsmouth and Chelmsford and by MBDA based at Stevenage
in Hertfordshire, Lostock near Bolton in Lancs and at Filton,
Bristol. Value of the contract with BAE Systems Insyte is £141M
and with MBDA is £177M.