Leading developer and manufacturer of missile systems, MBDA Corporation, announces that it has won the UK Department of Defense contract FLAADS (Future Local Air Defense Systems). Under this £ 483 million contract, MBDA will develop a naval air defense system called SEA CEPTOR that will replace the Seawolf vertically launched air defense system currently found on the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates. It is noteworthy that the SEA CEPTOR system is also planned to equip the Type 23 successor to the Type 26 Global Combat Ship.
SEA CEPTOR is the second major project launched under the Portfolio Management Agreement (PMA) signed in March 2010 between MBDA and the UK Department of Defense. Under this agreement, MBDA will assume responsibility for managing the £ 4 billion project over 10 years.
During his visit to MBDA by Defense Secretary Peter Luff to discuss the contract, he stated: “The development of this missile system is a huge boost to the world's leading missile industry in the United Kingdom and further proves our commitment to providing the armed forces with state-of-the-art technology. An advanced missile system will not only allow the Royal Navy to continue to defend our interests wherever they are located, but will significantly support the UK's ability and skills to build weapons systems."
CTO Steve Wadey said: “This contract is important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it ensures that with SEA CEPTOR, the Royal Navy has the best equipment to protect ships and their crews from the growing threat. an example of how industry, together with the Department of Defense, can meet the military needs in the most cost-effective way."
"This is also a very significant step in maintaining and advancing the UK's prowess in sophisticated military technology. It is important to note that the SEA CEPTOR is ideal for the Type 26 global warship, as well as a wide range of other ships. It is highly relevant to many navies. around the world, interested in a new generation of naval air defense systems capable of withstanding increasing anti-ship threats."
SEA CEPTOR will protect the ship itself and the important objects it guards, and thus will be able to neutralize the entire spectrum of existing and future threats, including warplanes and the new generation of supersonic anti-ship missiles. Capable of multi-channel fire, the system will also be capable of repelling massive attacks. It is noteworthy that thanks to SEA CEPTOR, an increased level of air defense will be provided for the remaining Type 23 ships in service at a low cost. The system will enter service in the middle of this decade, after which it will be equipped with the Type 26 ships of the Royal Navy, which will replace the Type 23 after 2020.
A key design factor in SEA CEPTOR lies in its philosophy of ease of integration. Although the system is being developed specifically for global warships, SEA CEPTOR can be easily integrated into a wide range of platforms, ranging from 50-meter coastal patrol ships to large surface ships. The fact that the system can easily replace the existing Type 23 air defense system is evidence of its modular flexibility.
There are two main functions that provide this flexibility. The SEA CEPTOR is a "soft-launch" weapon, allowing a very compact launcher to be placed in most locations on the lower and upper decks. More importantly, since the SEA CEPTOR is a very accurate and fast-acting system using an accurate missile guidance system, the SEA CEPTOR interacts with the ship's existing radars. For this reason, the system does not require special fire control radars on which semi-active guidance systems depend. There is a very high degree of similarity between the SEA CEPTOR and the CEPTOR-based terrestrial version.
The enterprises of the MBDA corporation located in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Great Britain and the USA employ about 10,000 people. In 2010, the group's turnover reached 2.8 billion euros with an order book of 10.8 billion euros. More than 90 armed forces all over the world are clients of the concern. 37.5% of the MBDA concern is owned by BAE Systems, 37.5% by EADS and 25% by Finmeccanica.
Note
The rocket will be pushed out of the transport and launch container by an independent pressure generator in the direction of the target. It is equipped with an active guidance system that allows you to retarget the missile if it loses its original target. The missile is capable of covering an area of 500 square miles (its approximate range is 40 km).
