New investment in Royal Navy fleet communications to boost jobs

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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