Thales Bags £250m Royal Navy Comms Deal

Work has already begun on a decade-long, £250m contract to enhance command-and-control (C2) systems on the Royal Navy’s surface fleet and submarines won by defence giant Thales.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) agency said the new agreement will safeguard more than 100 high-skilled jobs at Thales sites in Portsmouth, Plymouth, Crawley, Reading and Bristol.

As per a recent DE&S press statement, the deal represents the U.K.’s largest-ever contract for the provision of naval communication systems; DE&S estimates the new agreement will also save the Royal Navy up to £30 million over the next decade. 

Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, commented: “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.”

The new Maritime Communications Capability Support (MCCS) deal replaces the Fleetwide Communications contract which Thales UK has overseen for the past seven years; under the terms of the agreement the firm will also provide “waterfront” offices, legacy equipment recovery and inventory management.

Director of Sense, Decide & Communicate at DE&S Commodore Phil Game commented: “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.”

Phil Siveter, CEO Thales in the UK, added: “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.”

• You can read more details on the MoD website and on the Thales website