First MEWSIC electronic warfare system delivered to the MoD as Royal Navy capability advances

The UK Ministry of Defence has taken delivery of the first production Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC), advancing a major Royal Navy electronic warfare modernisation programme.

According to a recent LinkedIn update from the programme team, the first MEWSIC system has now been delivered to the Ministry of Defence. 

The delivery allows the programme to move into its next phase of integration, testing and acceptance ahead of installation on frontline warships. 

The milestone follows several years of development under the Royal Navy’s Maritime Electronic Warfare Programme (MEWP). Babcock is a prime contractor alongside Elbit Systems UK and QinetiQ.

What is MEWSIC?

MEWSIC – short for Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability – is the Royal Navy’s next-generation electronic warfare suite.

Electronic warfare systems detect, identify and analyse electromagnetic emissions such as radar signals from ships, aircraft and missiles. They help crews understand what threats are present, identify hostile systems at greater range and coordinate defensive responses before an attack reaches the ship.

The new system combines:

• A next-generation Radar Electronic Support Measures (RESM) sensor
• An advanced Electronic Warfare Command and Control (EWC2) system
• Integration with the ship’s combat management system

Combined, these capabilities give operators improved situational awareness and help them select the most effective countermeasures. 

 “MEWSIC will provide a key component of the platform protection suite for the QE Carriers, Type 45 Destroyers and the Type 26 and 31 Frigates, particularly against the threat of anti-ship missiles,” said Dr Allan Paterson, Team Leader of the National Armaments Director Group.

“Given recent global events, the need for investment in this area has never been greater, so taking delivery of the first MEWSIC system is a key achievement. My congratulations to the MOD/Industry team whose hard work made this possible.”

MEWSIC Increment 1 will be installed across the Royal Navy’s high-end surface fleet, including:

• Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers
• Type 45 destroyers
• Type 26 frigates
• Type 31 frigates

The programme will eventually equip 21 Royal Navy surface combatants. 

Working alongside Ancilia

MEWSIC is only one half of the wider Maritime Electronic Warfare Programme.

It will operate alongside Ancilia, the Royal Navy’s new trainable electronic countermeasure launcher built by SEA. Ancilia can rapidly rotate towards incoming threats and optimise the firing angle of decoy rounds without requiring the ship to manoeuvre.

Integrated with MEWSIC’s command-and-control software, the combination would detect hostile radar emissions, identify the threat and automatically recommend or deploy the most appropriate defensive response against anti-ship missiles. 

According to the Royal Navy, alongside MEWSIC, “two Ancilia systems will be fitted to each Type 26, 31 and 45.”

How long has the MEWSIC programme been in development?

The MEWSIC programme reached its Critical Design Review milestone in late 2023. It was then cleared for manufacture after extensive development by Babcock, Elbit Systems UK and the Ministry of Defence.

The original 13-year contract awarded in 2021 was valued at around £100 million for Babcock. Elbit Systems UK received a contract worth approximately £73 million to supply the electronic warfare technology. The programme also supports around 170 skilled engineering jobs across the UK. 

What happens next?

With the first production system now delivered to the MoD, engineers will complete integration, verification and acceptance testing. MEWSIC installation will then begin aboard operational Royal Navy warships.

The system will ultimately replace the Navy’s current electronic warfare capability. It will improve detection ranges, speed up decision-making, and strengthen the Royal Navy’s defense against increasingly sophisticated anti-ship missile threats.