Article Posted on : - May 30, 2013

LONDON (BNS): The £600 million sensor support optimisation project will provide a decade of maintenance and repair for 17 different systems across the Royal Navy fleet, including the Astute, Trafalgar and Vanguard Classes of submarines as well as the Type 45 warships, Type 23 frigates and the Hunt and Sandown Classes of minehunting vessels.

Under this new contractual arrangement, UK Ministry of Defence will make an estimated saving of around £140 million over the 10-year period.

Philip Dunne, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology, signed the contract during a visit to Thales headquarters in Crawley on Tuesday.

"This contract will provide essential support for the combat equipment that helps give the Royal Navy's fleet of ships and submarines a vital technological edge wherever they are based in the world," Philip Dunne was quoted as saying in the UK MOD's news release.

"Securing support for this combat equipment, the electronic eyes and ears of our fleet of submarines and surface warships, is key to ensuring that the Royal Navy will continue to be able to protect the UK's interests wherever they may be," said Vice Admiral Sir Andrew Mathews, Chief of Materiel Fleet for MOD's Defence Equipment and Support organisation.