BAE Systems Maritime – Maritime Services

BAE Systems Maritime – Maritime Services is a wholly owned subsidiary company of BAE Systems, specialising in repair and maintenance of Royal Navy vessels, as well as product development, naval training and through life support for radar, torpedoes and small boats.[1] Along with BAE Systems Maritime – Submarines and BAE Systems Maritime – Naval Ships, it is one of three divisions of BAE Systems Maritime.

BAE Systems Maritime Services
TypePrivate
IndustryDefence
Marine engineering
Manufacturing
PredecessorBAE Systems Insyte
Fleet Support Limited
Founded2012
Headquarters
Portsmouth
,
United Kingdom
ProductsArtisan 3D Radar
Pacific 24 RIB
Spearfish Torpedo
Number of employees
~3500
ParentBAE Systems Surface Ships Limited
Websitewww.baesystems.com

History

Maritime Services was originally formed as Fleet Support Limited (FSL), a joint venture between GEC-Marconi and Vosper Thornycroft (now VT Group). GEC's 50% share passed to its successor BAE Systems in 1999. In July 2008 BAE Systems and VT Group merged their military ship repair businesses to form BVT Surface Fleet. In 2009 this became BAE Systems Surface Ships, with complete ownership passing to BAE Systems and the company being renamed BAE Systems Surface Ships Support Limited. In January 2012, BAE Systems Surface Ships Support was restructured, joining with parts of BAE Systems Insyte to become BAE Systems Maritime – Maritime Services. Maritime Services can trace its ultimate origin, through various mergers and takeovers, to The Marconi Company Ltd., founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company.

Products and Services

Ballistic Missile Defence

Maritime Services is part of the UK Missile Defence Centre, which provides technical and scientific advice to UK government policy on issues related to ballistic missile defence.[2]

Engineering and Digital Services

Maritime Services Engineering & Digital Services division supports the Royal Navy and other customers with expertise in design engineering, safety management, support engineering, information systems, digital solutions, machine learning, prognostics and energy solutions.[3][4] In August 2020, Maritime Services acquired Techmodal, a Bristol based data consultancy and digital services firm, in order to strengthen the company’s technology and data portfolio.[5]

Manufacturing

Maritime Services carries out advanced manufacturing operations at Broad Oak in Portsmouth, Cowes on the Isle of Wight, Great Baddow in Essex and at Hillend in Fife.[6] They develop, test, assemble and integrate a wide range of technologies for both the commercial and military electronics markets, including missile seekers and avionics equipment[7]

Maritime Services manage Portsmouth Naval Base on behalf of the Royal Navy, providing services such as planning, engineering, facilities management, programme management and estates services.[8]

Radar
Artisan Type 997 Radar installed on HMS Argyll

Maritime Services has developed a wide range of Radars for both the Royal Navy and other customers. Principal products include the Type 997 Artisan radar[9] and the SAMPSON radar.[10] In November 2017, Maritime Services was awarded a five-year, £18m contract to support the long-range radar (LRR) equipment on the UK's six Type 45 destroyers, including maintenance and repairs.[11]

Small Boats

Maritime Services manufactures and supports a range of specialist high-speed military craft, including Rigid Inflatable Boats and Fast Attack Craft. These boats are used by Special Forces, navies, armies, air forces and governments in over 40 countries around the world. Principal products include the Pacific 24 and Pacific 950 Rigid Inflatable Boats.

The company is also developing autonomous technology that is designed to be retro-fitted to existing boats. In October 2016, BAE Systems and its test service partners showcased their autonomous maritime capabilities in the Royal Navy's ‘Unmanned Warrior’ exercise.[12] Subsequently, BAE Systems and its partners were awarded a £457,000 contract to design and deliver the UK's first dedicated autonomous systems testing service.[13]

Training

Maritime Services provides a range of shore-based training facilities, using a mix of computer-based training, real equipment and high-fidelity simulators, which minimise the need for on-board training. Principal training facilities include the Maritime Composite Training Facility (MCTS)[14] and the Astute Class Training Service (ACTS).[15]

Underwater Weapons

Maritime Services designs, manufactures and supports a wide range of underwater weapons and autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles, including the Spearfish heavyweight torpedo and the Archerfish expendable mine neutraliser. Currently, Maritime Services is undertaking a £270 million programme to upgrade the Spearfish torpedo. The upgrade includes a new insensitive-munition warhead from TDW, a change to the fuel system to improve safety, full digitisation of the weapon and a new fibre optic guidance link to improve performance.[16] The upgraded torpedoes will enter service between 2020 and 2024.[17]

Warship Support

Maritime Services is responsible for delivering end to end services and support to over 50% of the Royal Navy's surface fleet. Ships supported include the Type 45 destroyers, Type 23 frigates, Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels, River-class offshore patrol vessels and Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier.[18] They will also support the Type 31 frigates when they enter service in the mid-2020s.[19] As of March 2018, Maritime Services are leading an alliance team composed of shipbuilders Cammell Laird and consultancy firm BMT to permanently ongoing resolve Type 45 power generation issues[20] caused by unreliable Northrop Grumman intercoolers.[21][22][23]

References
  1. "Maritime Services". BAE Systems | United Kingdom. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  2. "Missile Defence Centre". BAE Systems | United Kingdom. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  3. "New software could transform ship maintenance". BAE Systems | International. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  4. "Full steam ahead for new power plant at Portsmouth Naval Base". BAE Systems | International. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  5. "BAE Systems acquires digital services firm Techmodal". Naval Technology. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2020.
  6. "The state of UK Defence - BAE Systems and MBDA". The Manufacturer. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  7. "Manufacturing Assembly Integration and Test Service". BAE Systems | United Kingdom. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  8. "£600m Portsmouth Naval Base contract". BAE Systems | International. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  9. "Artisan 3D radar system passes sea-based acceptance trials". BAE Systems | International. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  10. "UK MoD awards new Royal Navy contracts to Babcock and BAE Systems". Naval Technology. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  11. "Defence Minister returns to Chelmsford to announce £18m contract to support Royal Navy radar systems - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  12. "Royal Navy's 'robot wars' under way off Scotland and Wales". BBC News. 14 October 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  13. "Grant awarded to launch UK's first maritime autonomous systems testing service | BAE Systems | International". BAE Systems | International. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  14. "Royal Navy - Warfare Training Facility - Maritime Composite Training Facility (MCTS) - n2a7 - Armed Forces". www.armedforces.co.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  15. "Astute Class Training Service". BAE Systems | International. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  16. "BAE Systems Maritime". BAE Systems | International. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  17. Chuter, Andrew (15 December 2014). "Royal Navy Subs To Get Upgraded Spearfish Torpedo". Defense News. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  18. "WATCH: BAE Systems managers tell of their pride in HMS Queen Elizabeth". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  19. "Royal Navy chiefs launch scathing attack on the government for Britain's 'anorexic'". www.portsmouth.co.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  20. Allison, George (22 March 2018). "BAE, Cammell Laird and BMT team up to finally resolve Type 45 Destroyer power issues". UK Defence Journal. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  21. "Northrop Grumman/Rolls-Royce Team Selected as Preferred Supplier". www.defense-aerospace.com. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  22. "WR-21 gamble pays off. Rand to study UK naval programme". www.readabstracts.com. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  23. "Putting the Type 45 propulsion problems in perspective". Save the Royal Navy. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
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