SEA wins radar transducer contract
SEA has been awarded a £2 million, five-year contract by Ultra Electronics to supply transducers as part of the Sonar 2050 Technology Refresh programme (S2050TR) for the British Royal Navy, it announced in September.
The contract will cover the duration of the Type 23 Duke class frigate programme. The contract includes eight ship sets to support the replacement of the Sonar 2050 systems on the UK ROyal Navy’s current Type 23 frigates.
SEA will upgrade its Tonpilz Transducer design to produce a new unit that will meet Ultra's requirements to fit its Digital Array Module design. The upgrade will enhance the frigate's hull-mounted sonar capability for persistent surveillance against torpedo and submarine threats.
The contract is part of the mid-life update of the frigates, which were built between 1985 and 2002. In early 2016, Thales was awarded a £19 million contract to perform the mid-life update to the external communications voice distribution and management of the Type 23 frigate fleet.
The UK operates 13 Type 23 Duke Class frigates. Initially designed for anti-submarine warfare, the frigates are currently also used for anti-surface warfare with their Boeing Harpoon surface-to-surface missile and Seawolf point missile defence system.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Top-level commitments but no meat in UK Defence Industrial Strategy’s Statement of Intent]()
Top-level commitments but no meat in UK Defence Industrial Strategy’s Statement of Intent
The initial document focused more on creating the right partnerships and inspiring investment in defence than on any details of how future UK Armed Forces would be armed.
-
![UK begins process on new industrial strategy]()
UK begins process on new industrial strategy
The first stage of developing a new UK Defence Industrial Strategy has highlighted failings in current structures with solutions expected to be proposed in next year’s full strategy.
-
![Romanians put pro-Russian candidate into presidential runoff even as the government spends west]()
Romanians put pro-Russian candidate into presidential runoff even as the government spends west
Romania joined NATO more than two decades ago and the country is vital to the alliance’s geographic reach and its ability to supply Ukraine with weapons.
-
![What the future holds for Ukraine and NATO under a Trump administration]()
What the future holds for Ukraine and NATO under a Trump administration
Although Trump’s geopolitics policy for Europe remains unclear, defence analysts from the US and Europe predict how his incoming administration would attempt to handle critical issues on the continent.
-
![RUSI deputy: UK needs longer procurement plans and improved awareness of US sift to Indo-Pacific]()
RUSI deputy: UK needs longer procurement plans and improved awareness of US sift to Indo-Pacific
The UK budget announced in Parliament on 30 October was the first by a Labour government in 14 years which has also launched a review into defence procurement programmes.
-
![Australia outlines longer punch and brings local industry onboard]()
Australia outlines longer punch and brings local industry onboard
The Australian government has placed a focus on Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) which has included the purchase of additional long-range rocket systems and investments in local production of missiles.
