The navigation and maritime security surveillance systems product firm Kelvin Hughes reports that its SharpEye radars are to be fitted to more than 60 Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships, submarines and shore facilities.
Working with Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems UK who have signed a £44m contract with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), Kelvin Hughes will be supplying SharpEye systems for the RN’s Type 23 frigates, Hunt and Sandown class Mine Counter Measure Vessels, RFA support vessels and patrol boats as well as the Astute, Trafalgar and Vanguard class submarines.
Five shore facilities will also use SharpEye, including HMS Collingwood in Hampshire, HMS Raleigh in Cornwall, and the Land Based Test Site at Portsdown Technology Park in Hampshire. The contract with Lockheed Martin also includes options for navigation radar systems for future Royal Navy platforms such as the Queen Elizabeth carriers, the Type 26 Global Combat Ship and Successor submarines.
SharpEye is available in I (X) and E/F (S) frequency bands. These share a high degree of component commonality due to their similar modular design and system architecture, the firm says.
The SharpEye solid-state radar transceiver transmits a low power, patented pulse sequence incorporating pulse compression that enables superior range discrimination across all range scales. This means that multiple operators can have access to a picture at long and short ranges at once, the makers add. Pictured: the X-Band transceiver.
Rohan Dearlove, Kelvin Hughes’ UK Maritime Sales Director, said: “This is excellent news for us and we’re looking forward to working with Lockheed Martin to equip the RN and RFA fleets with our world beating SharpEye radar. The provision of SharpEye under this contract supports the MOD’s desire for technological convergence, with similar radars being already in service with the Fleet and selected for MOD programmes such as the Tide class tankers and the new OPVs.
“We are confident that MOD will decide to exercise options within the NRP contract which facilitate the roll out of SharpEye across additional platforms. This would extend the operational benefits associated with technological convergence to the newer vessels types such as Type 45, the two new carriers and future Type 26 and general purposes frigates.”
Kelvin Hughes’ Chief Executive, Russell Gould, added: “SharpEye systems are currently being deployed by 27 of the world’s navies and this major new project is a further vote of confidence in the superior performance and reliability of Kelvin Hughes SharpEye technology.” Visit www.kelvinhughes.com.
