SEA has secured a 15-year contract worth £8 million with Thales UK as part of the Maritime Sensor Enhancement Team (MSET) programme. The agreement aims to enhance the availability and resilience of the UK Royal Navy’s essential assets. SEA’s role will be to minimize the risk of system obsolescence, ensuring that the Royal Navy’s critical equipment remains functional and continues to improve over time.
The MSET programme, designed to maximize the operational readiness of the Royal Navy, will focus on maintaining vital capabilities such as sonar systems, masts, periscopes, and electronic warfare tools. These efforts are intended to increase equipment availability and ensure the continued operation of the Continuous Sea Deterrent (CASD).
Under the new contract, SEA will continue to provide maintenance and regulatory inspections for the towed array handling equipment used by Royal Navy personnel at UK dockyards and overseas. SEA’s skilled engineers will also conduct repairs and manage operational defects to ensure the required equipment availability for the Navy.
Kerry Parfitt, head of maritime support and services at SEA, highlighted the importance of the programme: “Maintaining naval platforms and capabilities is essential to keeping the Navy ready for operations. Through MSET, we will work closely with Thales UK and the Royal Navy to adopt a proactive approach to support. This will involve integrating maintenance, innovation, and training into everyday operations.”
He added, “This partnership will ensure that platforms and critical capabilities are available when needed most. It will also improve the resilience of Royal Navy assets. By continuously upgrading existing systems, we can minimize the risk of obsolescence and offer long-term cost savings to the UK Government. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Thales UK and the Royal Navy over the next 15 years.”
The contract will be carried out by SEA’s Maritime Support and Services division, which will bring its expertise and flexibility to enhance and maintain the Royal Navy’s legacy systems, ensuring they meet the demands of today’s maritime environment. SEA will also manage obsolescence, monitor repairs, and track system failures, while identifying improvements to boost equipment performance.
Steven Lockley, managing director of underwater systems at Thales UK, praised SEA’s approach: “SEA’s proactive method for addressing obsolescence and boosting resilience is crucial for ensuring the Royal Navy’s ships remain mission-ready. We are excited to continue our partnership and support the long-term availability of the Royal Navy’s essential assets.”
This contract follows a previous order under the Sensors Support Optimisation Project (SSOP). It represents another significant achievement for SEA’s Maritime Support & Services team, which has also been tasked with providing through-life support for the UK Royal Navy’s Ancilia decoy launcher.
