MBDA has been awarded three contracts worth around £400 million to upgrade and support the Sea Viper principal area air defense system of the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers.
One of the contracts will prolong and expand Sea Viper's in-service support (ISS) contract for an additional five years and the other two contracts will allow the Type 45 Destroyers to defend the Carrier Strike Group against anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs).
Chris Allam, Managing Director of MBDA UK, said: “These contracts will make Sea Viper the most capable naval air defence system ever developed for the Royal Navy in our 60 year history as the Navy’s primary air defence system supplier. They will also see the UK further enhance the co-operation with France and Italy through MBDA by joining the Aster 30 Block 1 programme, giving the UK the ability to defeat anti-ship ballistic missiles.”
An integrated team from MBDA across the UK, France, and Italy in collaboration with BAE Systems Maritime Services is working on the Sea Viper. The core component of the Sea Viper Evolution will see the Royal Navy's current Aster 30 missiles upgraded with Block 1 warheads and new guidance and seeker software to deal with new anti-ship ballistic missile threats, while maintaining its ‘world-class’ anti-air warfare capability. The Type 45's Sampson multi-function radar and combat management system will both be updated.
Scott Jamieson, Managing Director, BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business, said: “Our Radar business is excited to be working with MBDA on the Sea Viper Evolution upgrade to our SAMPSON Radar on board the UK’s Type 45 Destroyers. This new capability will form a key element of the UK’s Maritime Ballistic Missile Defence programme.”
In order to guarantee that the Royal Navy has weapons available when needed, the extended ISS contract will carry on building upon MBDA's data-driven approach to optimized stockpile availability.
We (United States) should have donated to the UK upgraded harpoon missiles for anti – shipping missions.