As a leading provider of intelligence systems, smart connectivity and associated services to the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), Thales has secured a seven year contract to provide through-life support for communications systems of the Royal Navy’s fleet.

The £100m contract provides an intelligent, unified approach to supporting the Thales communications systems, including those fitted to the Queen Elizabeth Class (QEC) aircraft carriers coming into service.

The seven year contract provides Thales with the responsibility to maintain, support and manages through-life the Royal Navy’s communications systems across the majority of the Fleet’s platforms, from the state-of-the-art systems aboard the new QEC aircraft carriers and the Type 45 Destroyers through to older systems such as those on Landing Platform Dock and many other platforms across the Fleet.

The systems fitted to the QEC aircraft carriers, and supported under this contract, enable the ship’s company to talk to each other within the vessel, its aircraft, the rest of the Navy and associated task groups, allies, civilian vessels and air traffic securely anywhere in the world.

Without these systems operational the vessels cannot go to sea. This capability builds on the significant installed base already in-service across the Royal Navy.

The contract secures around 40 jobs at Thales in the UK at Crawley, Portsmouth, Plymouth and Bristol and involves in excess of 40 UK companies across the associated global supply chain.

“The Royal Navy relies on Thales for its key sensors, communications, sonar, radar and electronic warfare systems giving the Fleet that critical situational awareness capability. This latest communications support contract builds upon our century long relationship with the Royal Navy providing its critical communications systems and will ensure that those systems are ready to meet the daily challenges of operations for years to come,” said Victor Chavez, CEO of Thales in the UK.

Thales is a global leader in the provision of military communications systems equipping over 40 Navies worldwide and providing the Royal Navy with communication systems for over 60 years.

Trusted and deployed by over 50 navies, Thales solutions cover anti-air warfare, surface warfare, underwater warfare and maritime safety and security. Our state-of-the-art radars and sonars comprise the world’s largest sensor portfolio. With cutting-edge technology that extends to fire control and leading C4ISR solutions, prime contracting, lead system integration and warship modernisation programmes.

Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport, Defence and Security markets. With 65,000 employees in 56 countries, Thales reported sales of €14 billion in 2016. With over 20,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design and deploy equipment, systems and services to meet the most complex security requirements. Its unique international footprint allows it to work closely with its customers all over the world.