Thales Uk News

The U.K. Royal Navy said it is testing a new crewless minehunter as part of its drive toward autonomous systems.Developed through a joint Anglo-French Maritime Mine Counter Measures program, the system is designed to detect the latest mine threats while reducing the risk to the lives of those searching for them. It comprises an uncrewed surface vessel, towed sonar and a portable operation center, and is now undergoing rigorous capability development trials.Demonstrators have been delivered to both the Royal and French Navies, the U.K.

The U.K.’s newest aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was commissioned into the Royal Navy fleet this morning by Her Majesty The Queen. Serving as the ship's Lady Sponsor, The Queen addressed guests before the ship's Commanding Officer, Captain Jerry Kyd, and read the commissioning warrant at a ceremony in Portsmouth Naval Base. The ceremony, attended by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson and military chiefs, marked the first time the Queen has visited the new warship since the formal naming ceremony in Rosyth in July 2014.

The Aircraft Carrier Alliance successfully lifted one of the final sections of the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier in Rosyth on Friday, January 8 following its arrival from Glasgow. The 750-metric-ton block was raised 25 meters in the air using the Goliath crane and placed on the deck of HMS Prince of Wales, bringing assembly work on the ship significantly closer to completion. This section to be assembled is known as the Aft Island and will control aircraft operations aboard HMS Prince of Wales.

The final section of aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales began its delivery voyage from Glasgow to Rosyth today, 10 weeks ahead of schedule. As part of the the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier program, newbuilds HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales will be the Royal Navy’s largest and most advanced ever warships and were constructed in blocks in different shipyards throughout the U.K. The final section being delivered, known as the Aft Island, weighs 750 metric tons and will control aircraft operations aboard the second aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales.

The second MT30 Gas Turbine Alternator (GTA) has been installed into the U.K. Royal Navy’s latest aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, at Rosyth, the Aircraft Carrier Alliance reported. ‪Generating 36 megawatts (around 50,000 horsepower), the power-dense Rolls-Royce MT30 marine gas turbine is key for naval ships where high power occupying minimum space is essential.‬ Each 120-metric-ton GTA package consists of a GE supplied alternator coupled to a Rolls-Royce supplied MT30 Gas Turbine contained within an enclosure.

The final sections of the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier produced by Cammell Laird arrived at Babcock Rosyth Facilities in Fife on Thursday, September 3, following their voyage from Birkenhead. Center Block 4 is the longest of the upper sections of hull of HMS Prince of Wales, the second of two new aircraft carriers being constructed by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance. Comprised in two parts (rings C and D), it contains a mixture of aviation workshops, mission system compartments and training rooms.

U.K. Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has produced power from her onboard diesel generators (DGs) for the first time, marking a significant stage in the program. Firing up the diesel generators for the first time in Rosyth was Philip Dunne, Minister of State for Defense Procurement, who took part in a short ceremony and was accompanied by Rear Admiral Henry Parker representing the Ministry of Defense on the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), and Sir Peter Gershon, the Independent Chairman of the ACA.

The Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA), which is building HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales in shipyards across the U.K., has opened a visitor center in Rosyth Dockyard. The facility, which has a view of both HMS Queen Elizabeth across the non-tidal basin and the Forth bridges behind it, has been created to allow small groups of visitors to learn more about the Alliance and the construction of the two largest warships ever built for the Royal Navy. Featuring an upstairs…

Cammell Laird has completed its first center blocks for a second aircraft carrier set to become the centerpiece of Britain’s military capability. The Birkenhead marine and engineering services company has fabricated and outfitted two blocks for the new Prince of Wales aircraft carrier, which are now being transported by sea to the Rosyth shipyard in Scotland. Construction of the blocks began in July 2013 and has involved a workforce of 250 including contractors. The two latest blocks, known as CB02 Ring F and Ring G, are 40 meters wide, 15 meters deep and 10 meters tall.

Construction of HMS Prince of Wales, the second of two new aircraft carriers for the U.K. Royal Navy, has moved forward with the docking of two of the ship’s largest hull sections – Lower Block 02 and Lower Block 03. The movement of the blocks into the dock at Rosyth marks the beginning of the ship’s assembly phase and comes only days after Prime Minister David Cameron announced that HMS Prince of Wales will enter into service, ensuring that the U.K. will always have one aircraft carrier available.

A huge section of hull for HMS Prince of Wales, the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier, has today begun its delivery voyage from HM Naval Base Portsmouth – the future home of the Queen Elizabeth Class. Mick Ord, Managing Director at BAE Systems Naval Ships, said, “This is a significant milestone for the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier program and a particularly proud one for the team in Portsmouth whose contribution to delivering the nation’s flagships has been outstanding.

A huge section of HMS Prince of Wales has arrived in Rosyth as the dockyard prepares for final assembly of the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier, shipbuilder BAE systems announced. The 8,000-metric-ton hull section, known as Lower Block 03, completed the 600-mile journey around the north coast of Scotland last night, after departing BAE Systems in Glasgow on Monday, July 28. The block weighs more than an entire Type 45 destroyer and forms the mid-section of the aircraft carrier’s hull from the keel to the hangar deck.

A huge section of hull for HMS Prince of Wales, the second aircraft carrier being delivered to the Royal Navy, has today departed BAE Systems in Glasgow on a 600-mile journey to Rosyth where final assembly of the ship will take place. The 8,000-metric-ton section, known as Lower Block 03, weighs more than an entire Type 45 destroyer and forms the mid-section of the aircraft carrier’s hull from the keel to the hangar deck. The block, transported by seagoing barge, is scheduled to arrive in Rosyth on Saturday, August 2 where work is currently underway to prepare the dock for the final assembly of HMS Prince of Wales which will begin in September.

The countdown to the naming of the U.K. Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier has begun today, marking 100 days until the major milestone in the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier program. HMS Queen Elizabeth will be officially named by Her Majesty The Queen in a ceremony at Rosyth on Friday, July 4. The naming of the first of class comes five years after first steel was cut on the ship in July 2009 at BAE Systems in Glasgow and only 33 months since the first section entered the dry dock at Rosyth marking the start of her assembly.

Thales has signed a five-year contract with the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence to provide support for the Sonar 2050 antisubmarine sensor used on the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate fleet. Sonar 2050 is a medium-range bow sonar currently fitted to 13 Type 23 frigates and is the Royal Navy’s primary hull-mounted antisubmarine warfare sensor. It also provides the ship with passive detection capabilities at lower frequencies. Under the contract, Thales will provide physical support of Sonar 2050 for operational defect rectifications, a worldwide 24/7 helpdesk support service, drydock and afloat support, and test equipment and handling. Thales was awarded the contract in a competitive process by offering a value for money…

Following an extensive Thales UK-led refurbishment and reactivation program, the Lithuanian Navy has formally accepted and commissioned two former Royal Navy minehunters into its fleet. In a ceremony at the Klaipeda naval base, LNS Skalvis and LNS Kuršis were commissioned into the fleet. Formerly the Royal Navy Hunt-class ships Dulverton and Cottesmore, the two warships are now fitted with a world-class minehunting capability from Thales, including new sonar, command and control, propulsion, degaussing, mine disposal and machinery control and surveillance systems. Thales was awarded the contract by the Disposals Services Authority (DSA) of the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) to refit the two former British minehunters for delivery to the Lithuanians.

The final section of HMS Queen Elizabeth, the first of two new aircraft carriers being built for the U.K. Royal Navy, has left BAE Systems’ shipyard at Scotstoun today to embark on a 600 mile journey to Rosyth. The Aft Island, also known as Upper Block 14, is the air traffic control tower of the ship and the center of all flight operations. Travelling around the north coast of Scotland, the block is scheduled to arrive into Rosyth on Thursday 20 June. Once the island has arrived all sections of the first of class HMS Queen Elizabeth will have been delivered. Angus Holt, Queen Elizabeth Class Block Delivery Director for BAE Systems, said, “The delivery of the Aft Island is a huge milestone for the aircraft carrier program and we are extremely proud to have achieved this.

Thales U.K. signed a 10-year contract with the Ministry of Defense (MOD), worth up to £600 million, for the in-service support of the Royal Navy’s major sensor systems. The new Sensors Support Optimization Project (SSOP) builds on the Thales’s Contractor Logistics Support contract, originally signed in 2003, which has provided support to the Royal Navy’s sonar and electronic warfare systems for the past 10 years. Under the terms of SSOP, the in-service support contract has been extended to include all of the Royal Navy’s submarine visual systems…

Following an extensive refit, HMS Portland has become the final Royal Navy Type 23 frigate to be fitted with Thales U.K.’s Sonar 2087, a towed array sonar system that enables warships to hunt submarines at considerable distances and locate them beyond the range from which they can launch an attack. Portland has now returned to service, with a rededication ceremony on March 21. The 12-month multi-million pound refit in Rosyth Royal Dockyard of Portland’s sensors, weapons and systems…

British Secretary of State for Defense, Philip Hammond, signaled a key moment in the creation of aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth during his visit to the assembly site, Babcock’s Rosyth Dockyard. While Aircraft Carrier Alliance workers looked on, Mr. Hammond started the final stage of the operation to lower the ship’s iconic bridge section—also known as the forward island—into place, completing the bow end of the 65,000-ton aircraft carrier. The Defense Secretary said, "The addition of the forward island is a significant milestone for HMS Queen Elizabeth…

Thales UK was awarded contracts to supply the Sonar 2076 fully-integrated search and attack submarine sonar system for the UK Royal Navy’s sixth and seventh Astute Class submarines. Thales will supply the sonar system to BAE Systems Maritime - Submarines, the prime contractor for the Astute Class build, to be fitted to the submarines at its shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness. The complete sonar system supplied by Thales will comprise both inboard and outboard of the bow, fin, intercept and flank arrays, and the associated inboard processing.

The BAE Systems built Forward Island for 'HMS Queen Elizabeth' to transit by barge for mounting in Rosyth shipyard. The iconic Forward Island, known as Upper Block 07, is the hub of the ship as it contains the main bridge and approximately 100 vital mission systems compartments. Weighing 680 tonnes, this is the first block to depart with her final paint colours applied, all windows fitted and consoles installed, along with 43km of cables and 3,101 pipes. It also proudly displays the HMS Queen Elizabeth crest.

The Royal Navy has described how the combination of a Type 23 frigate fitted with Thales UK’s Sonar 2087 and a Merlin helicopter equipped with the Thales FLASH dipping sonar has delivered an outstanding anti-submarine warfare capability. HMS Northumberland, sailing as part of the UK’s Response Force Task Group on the Cougar 12 Mediterranean deployment, recently conducted advanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training with a friendly submarine. The exercise involved the ASW surface ships trying to ‘sink’ the hunter-killer submarines…