26 Jan 2007 | Ref. 028/2007
A key milestone in the integration programme for the Type 45 destroyer being designed and built for the Royal Navy has been achieved with the installation of the SAMPSON multi function radar at the Maritime Integration & Support Centre (MISC) at Portsdown Hill, Portsmouth.
SAMPSON contributes to the area defence around the Type 45 and the accompanying fleet, detecting all types of targets out to a distance of hundreds of kilometres and providing up-link messages to the Aster missiles to neutralise threats to the fleet. The radar is capable of tracking hundreds of targets at any one time and will provide a significant step improvement to the current capability of Royal Navy ships.
Following installation and setting to work, the SAMPSON radar will be integrated with the Type 45 combat system to carry out combat system trials ahead of installation in the first of class, Daring, at BAE Systems’ Scotstoun warship yard on the Clyde.
BAE Systems created the £10M MISC to provide a purpose-built combat system integration, test and trials facility for de-risking the Type 45 programme. The facility will also be used for other upgrade and new build naval programmes. By doing this work before installation on board the ship, the cost, risk and development timescales can be substantially reduced.
Dave Twitchin, the MOD’s Type 45 project leader said: "This marks a crucial step forward for the programme. The Type 45 is the most advanced anti-air warfare platform in the world and the shore-based MISC facility is an essential feature in the highly complex systems integration work . When SAMPSON is fully integrated into the MISC we will have a significantly enhanced ability to test the interoperability of a range of equipment which will enable us to de-risk the down-stream programme. This activity is all centred around meeting the ultimate goal; getting the Type 45 into service with the Royal Navy."
Paul Laity, Naval Programmes Director, BAE Systems Integrated Systems Technologies (Insyte) said: “SAMPSON provides technological innovation that delivers national defence and security capability improvements”.
SAMPSON is only the latest addition to the systems and equipment already in place at the MISC. A number of major systems, including the Type 45’s long range radar, are already in place and a range of activity to de-risk the development of the Type 45 is already underway.
The milestone marks the delivery of the third and final prototype system. The first two are located at the Eskmeals gunnery range in Cumbria and the Longbow sea trials platform being commissioned in Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
The SAMPSON system is the first of a new generation of multi-function radar that provides surveillance, target tracking and missile guidance information for the MBDA Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) that will be the main armament of the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers. This air defence system is so advanced it can track and hit a target the size of a cricket ball travelling three times the speed of sound.
The contract from the UK Ministry of Defence, through the tri-national PAAMS programme office based in Paris, is to provide three prototype radars to qualify the PAAMS missile system and the Type 45 destroyer combat system and provide the initial production system for the first-of-class ship HMS Daring. Five further production radars are also on order.
The Type 45 programme will provide the Royal Navy with a versatile destroyer capable of contributing to worldwide maritime and joint operations for much of the first half of this century. As well as providing a specialist air warfare capability, they will also afford the fleet a general-purpose multi-role platform capable of performing tasks from peace support and defence diplomacy through to high-intensity warfare.
In a related development, production of the Royal Navy’s sixth Type 45 anti-air warfare destroyer, Duncan, started at VT Shipbuilding in Portsmouth today.
About BAE SYSTEMS
BAE Systems is the premier transatlantic defence and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 88,000 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded 12 billion pounds (US22 billion dollars) in 2005, excluding the Group's former interest in Airbus.
Caption – SAMPSON radar is lowered onto the MISC mast, which is representative of the one on the Type 45.
For further information, please contact:
Sue Kennard, BAE Systems
Tel: +44 (0) 1276 603265 Mob: +44 (0) 7801 712739
sue.kennard@baesystems.com
Mike Sweeney, BAE Systems
Tel: +44 (0) 1252 383074 Mob: +44 (0) 7801 716452
mike.sweeney2@baesystems.com
Issued by:
BAE Systems, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6YU, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1252 384719 Fax: +44 (0) 1252 383947
www.baesystems.com
