More than 100 high-skilled jobs will be secured in the UK thanks
to a new £250 million contract to upgrade the communications
systems of the Royal Navy's warship and submarine fleet.
Jobs at Thales sites in Portsmouth, Plymouth, Crawley, Reading
and Bristol will be supported after the company was awarded the
largest-ever contract for the provision of naval communication
capabilities.
This large-scale investment helps to support the objectives of
the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy – to drive investment to
UK-based businesses and boost defence jobs in every nation and
region of the country.
The 10-year long contract for Maritime Communications Capability
Support (MCCS), awarded by Defence Equipment & Support, will
upgrade the Royal Navy's internal and external fleet
communications, strengthening the UK's continuous at sea
deterrent and supporting global operations.
Contracts like this one are a key part of the UK Government's
Plan for Change, safeguarding national security whilst raising
living standards across the UK with good, skilled, productive
jobs.
It is estimated the new contract will also save the Royal Navy up
to £30 million in costs over the next decade.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, MP, said:
“This new contract is a vital step in ensuring
our forces remain secure at home and strong abroad. By enhancing
the capabilities of our naval operations, we are reinforcing the
UK's ability to respond to threats wherever they arise.
“In an increasingly volatile world, robust communication is the
backbone of operational success. In the face of global threats,
the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will ensure defence is
an engine for growth, boosting British jobs, and strengthening
national security.”
Communication systems on Royal Navy Units are a critical
component of a platform's ability to operate and fight. To meet
and sustain global commitments requires resilient and enduring
support contracts to maintain mission-critical equipment at the
highest levels of operational capability and availability.
The MCCS arrangement replaces the previous Fleetwide
Communications contract which Thales UK has overseen for the past
seven years. Thales UK will also provide “waterfront” office
services, recovery for ageing equipment and inventory management,
ensuring spare part availability and ongoing defect repairs as
required.
A key element to the contract is fostering closer collaboration
between DE&S, the Royal Navy, and Thales UK, effectively
delivering a “one defence” team which reduces bureaucracy while
boosting efficiency.
Commodore Phil Game, Director of Sense, Decide &
Communicate at DE&S, said:
“First and foremost, this announcement ensures the Royal Navy
continues to have effective and secure communications equipment
with continuous support from Thales, which has Europe's largest
team of marine communications engineers, supporting its vital
work keeping the UK and our allies safe.
“Crucially, we have looked at outcomes from other successful
defence programmes and applied the lessons learned from those, in
particular cutting unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy allowing
Thales much more freedom to get the job done.”
“We estimate that the scope of this contract will save between
£25m and £30m in through life costs to the Royal Navy over the
10-year support period by working in a much more collaborative
way with Thales UK, underlining our ‘one defence'
philosophy.”
This investment demonstrates the government's commitment to
national security and follows the launch of the consultation for
the Defence Industrial Strategy - which will place deterrence at
the heart of a new approach and ensures the defence sector
is an engine for growth in every region and nation of the
UK.
Phil Siveter, CEO Thales in the UK,
said:
“At Thales we are delighted to continue supporting the Royal Navy
in its vital mission to protect our nation. This long-term
fleetwide support framework reflects our unwavering commitment to
ensuring the Royal Navy remains combat-ready and equipped with
world-class communications capabilities, today and into the
future.
“Building on seven years of trusted partnership, we are proud to
provide the technical excellence and on-the-ground support that
keeps ships, submarines and installations operational and
mission-ready. By working as ‘one team' across the Naval
Enterprise, we are driving innovation and systems integration to
place the Royal Navy at the cutting edge of defence technology
for the next decade.”
