News
Business 5 equipment and will be responsible for the design
First production
and supply of the CVF dual IFF antenna system.
An important step has also been achieved recently
contract for CVF
in the cooperation between the French PA2 aircraft
carrier programme and the CVF, with the French
UK Defence Minister Lord Drayson has awarded the and British contractors involved in the programmes
first contract for new equipment that will be fitted to — DCNS and Aker Yards for France, BAE Systems,
the 65,000tonne future aircraft carriers (CVF) to be VT Shipbuilding, Thales Naval, and Babcock Support
ordered for the Royal Navy. Services for the UK— having confirmed their desire
The Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) electronics to cooperate by signing a cooperation agreement.
that will help protect the ships and their aircraft, The agreement is the result of the collaboration, to
is to be designed and manufactured by Selex the benefit of these programmes, undertaken since
Communications. The contract, initially worth over early 2005.
£1 million, was awarded following competition. The agreement lays down the general provisions for
Lord Drayson said: ‘Today’s announcement is cooperation for the development and manufacture
another milestone for the Future Aircraft Carrier and in-service support of the PA2 and CVF vessels,
programme. We plan to award further contracts for and represents a new milestone between French and
the production of equipment for these ships over British naval shipbuilders.
the coming months as the shipyards begin their However, despite the cooperation agreement
preparations for the start of construction work. between French and British industries, there are
Beyond this first equipment order, UK and France growing doubts about France’s ability to fund the
are cooperating closely in a number of key areas, and PA2. As Naval Spyglass reported recently, president
Nicolas Sarkozy has indicated that France’s finances
are under threat and that his priority will be to boost
the economy, and defence minister Hervé Morin has
warned of ‘hard times ahead’.
Refit
FSL establishes
CBRN expertise
Fleet Support Ltd (FSL) in the UK has completed
the first fit of an upgraded Chemical, Biological,
Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) filter system to the
Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke during a
maintenance period in Portsmouth.
Using the NATO Radial filter, the new system
takes into account the latest developments in CBRN
equipment and technology, enabling reduced
through-life cost of ownership by requiring less
frequent filter changes. The new fit is set to be the
The first contract for equipment for the UK Royal Navy’s forerunner for similar units to be installed in all ships
new aircraft carriers has been let, but doubts have in the Type 23 Class.
surfaced about funding for France’s carrier, PA2.
Contract
are exploring future joint procurement opportunities,
Maersk Line Ltd
notably for power and propulsion and some key
bids for JHSV
aspects of the mission system.’
The go ahead for the two carriers, Queen Elizabeth Maersk Line Ltd (MLL), the US-flag member of the
and Prince of Wales, was announced by the UK’s A P Moller-Maersk Group, has submitted a bid to
defence secretary Des Browne in July 2007. They will design and build the US Department of Defence’s
be the largest ships ever constructed for the Royal Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV).
Navy and will carry an air group of around 40 jet MLL has formed a team that includes Derecktor
fighters and helicopters. Shipyards and Gibbs & Cox, and will offer a JHSV
Selex Communications will be supplying IFF Mode design based on the HSS 1500 and HSS 900 high-
Warship Technology January 2008
WT Jan - p4+5+6+7+8+9+
10.indd 4 08/01/2008 15:36:22
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