Northrop Grumman Delivers UK Submarine PMS

Northrop Grumman Corporation has supplied the final batch of Platform Management System (PMS) hardware for the Royal Navy's Astute-class series' boat 5 submarine.

Under a performance partnering arrangement, Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit supplied the PMS to BAE Systems Maritime–Submarines for installation on Astute Boat 5, Anson, at its shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, U.K. The PMS equipment controls and monitors the submarine's platform machinery and onboard systems.

The PMS is expected to reduce life cycle costs and minimize program risk for the U.K. Ministry of Defence. The system will provide an advanced network design that includes the stringent levels of safety and redundancy associated with nuclear submarine control systems. Also, the Platform Management System is expandable and versatile due to an open architecture design that allows interfacing with third-party equipment via standard field-bus technology.

"Northrop Grumman has a well established relationship with the Royal Navy, supplying and supporting systems for surface ships and submarines," said Andrew Tyler, chief executive U.K. and Europe, Northrop Grumman. "The continued success of our involvement in the Astute programme is a reflection of the skill of our teams and the close partnership that we have with BAE Systems and the Ministry of Defence."

Sperry Marine is a business unit of Northrop Grumman's Navigation and Maritime Systems Division. Headquartered in New Malden, U.K., with major engineering and support offices both in New Malden and in Hamburg, Germany,