SEA secures contract with Thales to support Royal Navy ships

Image courtesy SEA / Cohort

The £8 million-pound contract will see SEA help reduce the Royal Navy’s risk of system obsolescence while ensuring sustained functionality and enhancements.

Maximising the long-term availability and resilience of the UK Royal Navy’s critical assets and the days that the Royal Navy is ready to deploy, the MSET smarter maintenance programme will support vital capabilities including sonar, masts, periscopes and electronic warfare to increase equipment availability and maintain the Continuous Sea Deterrent (CASD).

Under the MSET contract, SEA will continue to provide waterfront support maintenance and regulatory inspections on the towed array handling equipment used by staff at UK dockyards and overseas. In addition, SEA’s experienced and skilled engineers will deliver timely and effective repairs and operation defects/damage maintenance to ensure the required availability for the UK Royal Navy.

Kerry Parfitt, Head of Maritime Support & Services at SEA said: “Ensuring naval platforms and capabilities are mission-ready is the backbone of naval operational readiness. Through the MSET programme, we’ll be working closely with our industry colleagues at Thales and the UK Royal Navy to instil a proactive approach to through-life support – seamlessly integrating maintenance, innovation and training into operations.

“Not only will this mean platforms and critical capabilities are available when they’re needed most but it will also strengthen the resilience of Royal Navy assets. Continual enhancements to existing functionality will significantly reduce the risk of system obsolescence, delivering long term cost efficiencies for the UK Government. We’re looking forward to building on our long-standing relationship with Thales and the Royal Navy throughout this 15-year programme.”

Delivered by SEA’s proven Maritime Support & Services division, the contract will see the team’s knowledge, agility and expertise enhance and maintain legacy capabilities on Royal Navy’s platforms so that they remain fit for today’s demanding maritime landscape. Through managing obsolescence, monitoring repairs and trending failures, SEA will also help identify improvements that will have a positive impact on equipment performance.

Steven Lockley, Managing Director Underwater Systems at Thales UK, said: “SEA’s proactive approach to tackling obsolescence and enhancing resilience is critical to ensuring Royal Navy ships remain mission-ready. As we begin this 15-year programme, we’re excited to strengthen our partnership and deliver long-term availability for the UK Royal Navy’s critical assets.”

The sole source contract is a follow-on order from the Sensors Support Optimisation Project (SSOP). The MSET programme represents another significant win for the SEA Maritime Support & Services team following SEA being awarded a contract to supply and deliver through-life support for its trainable decoy launcher, Ancilia, on UK Royal Navy surface ships.