Tel Aviv: Elbit Systems, a leading Israeli company announced today, November 9 that its subsidiary, Elbit Systems UK was awarded a contract valued at approximately $100 million (approximately £73 million) by Babcock International Group Plc. to provide the Royal Navy with new Electronic Warfare capabilities under Increment 1 of the Maritime Electronic Warfare System Integrated Capability (MEWSIC) Program. The contract will be performed over a period of 13 years and will include in-service support.
Under the MEWSIC Program, Elbit Systems UK will design, manufacture and deliver maritime Electronic Warfare (EW) suites comprised of fully digital full-spectrum Radar Electronic Support Measures (RESM) and EW Command and Control (EWC2) systems. These latest generation technologies will enhance the situational awareness and anti-ship missile defence of front-line platforms and improve their capability to exploit the electromagnetic environment.
Martin Fausset, CEO of Elbit Systems UK said: “We are proud to be in position to provide such an important capability to the Royal Navy. Elbit Systems UK will work with its local partners on developing and delivering these cutting edge technologies, creating high skilled jobs while providing operational sovereignty and freedom of action.”
Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace added: “In a world of rapidly evolving threats, these enhancements will upgrade the Royal Navy with pioneering radar detection capabilities maintaining the UK’s operational advantage at sea.”
Elbit Systems is seeing a growing demand for its maritime portfolio of solutions. During the last three years the company published several awards in this area: a contract to develop and delivers a new Combat Systems Operator Trainer in the Future Submarine School of the UK Royal Navy and modernisation of legacy synthetic training systems across the Royal Navy; contracts to supply countries in Asia Pacific with Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities including USVs, sonars and Combat Management Systems, a contract to provide the SPECTRO XR multi-spectral electro-optic systems to maritime forces, a contract to deliver USVs for Mine Counter Measure missions, a contract to equip vessels with integrative intelligence suites, a contract to deliver Underwater Sound Source System for the Republic of Korea and a contract to supply combat suites and perform systems’ integration for the new patrol vessels of the Hellenic Coast Guard.
In addition, Elbit Systems acquired Sparton Corporation, a US company that is the premier developer, producer and supplier of systems supporting Undersea Warfare for the US Navy and allied Naval forces.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
