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The future of hundreds of jobs has been assured thanks to the government’s decision to award the development of a new naval air defence system to the British arm of missile manufacturer MBDA.
The Ministry of Defence said the five-year project would sustain 500 jobs at MBDA and in its supply chain across the UK, including at Stevenage in Hertfordshire, Filton in south Gloucestershire and Lostock in Bolton.
The air defence system would be capable of destroying enemy missiles travelling at supersonic speeds. Its missiles, known as Sea Ceptors, would be fired from Royal Navy warships to reach speeds of up to Mach 3, and would protect an area of around 500 square miles over land or sea. The contract is worth £483 million.
The system would initially be used on the navy’s Type 23 frigates, replacing the vertical-launch Seawolf system in service. Significantly, Sea Ceptor is also planned to be the principal air defence system on the successor Type 26 Global Combat Ship and it is also thought it could be adapted for use by the army on land.
Sea Ceptors would protect the host ship and valuable assets in the local area by intercepting and neutralising the full range of current and future threats including combat aircraft and the new generation of supersonic anti-ship missiles. Capable of multiple channels of fire, the system will also counter saturating attacks, MBDA said.
“This is a very important contract to develop the Sea Ceptor which is a next-generation system for the Royal Navy,” said Nick Neale, who runs the missile programme.
“We have received the contract to demonstrate the system, so it’s a development contract for one ship. Looking forward, we will then receive a production contract in the next couple of years for the remaining Type 23 frigates. Then the Sea Ceptor system will move on to the Type 26.”
Neale said there was also potential to export the missile system abroad.
“For the company as a whole this is an incredibly important programme,” said Neale.
He added: “We are very cognisant of the external environment and the pressures the government is under. Affordability has probably been the overarching driver from the outset.
“We’re very confident that the system we are developing now for this first project – the Type 23 – will be readily transferable to the land environment: indeed, the munition that we are developing is absolutely common to both the maritime and land environment.”
Defence equipment minister Peter Luff said: “The development of this missile system is a huge boost to the UK’s world-leading missile industry and once again proves our commitment to providing battle-winning technology to our armed forces.”
The head of the navy, Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, said: “This new weapon system will equip our frigates to deal with the type of sophisticated missile threat expected in the coming decades.
“Investment in advanced defence technology, such as Sea Ceptor, is vital to ensure the Royal Navy’s continued ability to defend the UK’s interests wherever necessary.”