New investment in Royal Navy fleet communications to boost jobs.
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£250m maritime communications upgrade will support over 100 high-skill jobs in the UK, in line with the Government's Change Plan.
Royal Navy Ships at Sea - HMS Richmond and HMS Diamond
More than 100 highly skilled jobs will be secured in the UK thanks to a new £250m contract to upgrade communications systems on the Royal Navy's fleet of warships and submarines.
Jobs at Thales sites in Portsmouth, Plymouth, Crawley, Reading and Bristol will be supported after the company won its biggest ever contract to provide maritime communications capabilities.
This large-scale investment helps support the objectives of the future Defence Industrial Strategy to boost investment in UK-based companies and grow defence jobs in every nation and region of the country.
The 10-year Maritime Communications Capability Support (MCCS) contract, awarded by Defence Equipment and Support, will modernise the Royal Navy's internal and external communications fleet, enhance the UK's ongoing deterrence at sea and support global operations. Contracts such as this are a key part of the UK Government's Change Plan, which aims to safeguard national security by improving living standards in the UK through quality, skilled and productive jobs.
The new contract is also estimated to save the Royal Navy up to £30 million over the next decade.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle, MP, said:
This new contract is a critical step in ensuring our forces remain secure at home and strong abroad. By improving the capabilities of our naval operations, we are strengthening the UK's ability to respond to threats wherever they arise.
In an increasingly volatile world, strong communications are the backbone of operational success. In the face of global threats, the future Defence Industrial Strategy will ensure that defence is a driver of growth, increasing UK jobs and strengthening national security.
The Royal Navy's communications systems are an essential part of a platform's ability to operate and fight. Delivering and sustaining global commitments requires flexible and sustainable support contracts to maintain mission-critical equipment at the highest levels of operational capability and availability.
The MCCS agreement replaces the previous Fleetwide Communications contract which Thales UK oversaw for seven years. Thales UK will also provide 'water' office services, obsolescence recovery and inventory management, ensuring the availability of spare parts and ongoing fault repairs as required. A key element of the contract is to foster closer collaboration between DEandS, the Royal Navy and Thales UK, creating a 'one defence' team that reduces bureaucracy and increases efficiency.
Commodore Phil Game, Director of Sense, Decide and Communicate at DEandS, said:
Firstly, this announcement ensures that the Royal Navy continues to have effective and secure communications equipment with the continued support of Thales, which has the largest team of naval communications engineers in Europe, supporting its vital work in keeping the UK and our allies safe.
It is important to note that we have seen the results of other successful defence programmes and have applied the lessons learned from them, particularly in reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and red tape, which gives Thales much more freedom to do its job.
We estimate that the scope of this contract will save the Royal Navy between £25m and £30m in life-cycle costs over the 10-year support period, 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 consultations on the Defence Industrial Strategy, which will put deterrence at the heart of a new approach and ensure that the defence sector is an engine of growth in every region and nation in the UK. Phil Siveter, CEO of Thales UK, said:
At Thales, we are delighted to continue to support the Royal Navy in its vital mission of protecting our nation. This long-term support framework across the fleet reflects our unwavering commitment to ensuring the Royal Navy remains combat-ready and equipped with world-class communications capabilities, now and in the future.
Building on seven years of trusted partnership, we are proud to provide the technical excellence and field support that keeps ships, submarines and facilities operational and ready to complete their missions. Working as a 'team' across the naval enterprise, we are driving innovation and systems integration to put the Royal Navy at the forefront of defence technology for the next decade.
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