SHAH ALAM: The MBDA Sea Ceptor system has been selected for the Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigates. MBDA announced the contract by the UK Ministry of Defence on May 26. The UK MOD awarded a consortium led by defence firm Babcock a contract to build the Type 31 frigates – build on the Arrowhead 140 design – in 2019. The five general purpose frigates will be built alongside the Type 26 frigates under construction.
MBDA’s Sea Ceptor system will protect the Royal Navy’s new Type 31 frigates under a contract awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence.
Sea Ceptor is the world’s most modern naval air defence system of its class. Utilising the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM), it offers both world-leading close-in air defence and local-area air defence. The system will allow the Type 31 to protect simultaneously both itself and vessels near it from attack from current and future threats, including high-speed manoeuvring missiles, attack aircraft and fast inshore attack craft.
Eric Beranger, CEO of MBDA, said: “We are very pleased to mark this latest success for the CAMM family. Sea Ceptor was designed to change the game in naval air defence and, with Type 31 the latest in a growing list of ship classes that Sea Ceptor has been chosen to protect, it is rapidly delivering on this promise.”
The new contract includes integration of Sea Ceptor with the Type 31’s systems, along with delivery and installation of ship hardware for the Type 31 programme. Designed and made in the UK, the contract forms part of the Portfolio Management Agreement (PMA), a partnership initiated in 2010 between the UK MoD and MBDA on sovereign complex weapons design and production. The PMA delivers world-beating military equipment for the UK Armed Forces and has secured over 4,000 jobs at MBDA UK while generating savings worth over £1.2 billion.
Sea Ceptor is currently in service on the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates, and will also protect the new Type 26 frigates. The UK Ministry of Defence maintains a common stockpile of CAMM missiles for both the Royal Navy and British Army. The CAMM missile family has been selected by a growing list of other nations for both naval and land based air defence.
It is likely the first Type 26 frigate – the first one has just been joint – will be conducting sea trials next year even ahead of our first LCS – the Maharaja Lela. The first Type 31 is expected to be launched in 2023. That said the UK has also had its fair share of defence clunker just like our own LCS. For example, it has spend some RM20 billion for the Ajax armoured vehicles for the last five years and not single vehicle has been put into service. Its their money though…
— Malaysian Defence
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View Comments (8)
It is possible to integrate Sea Ceptor in RMN Lekiu Class Frigates to replace the Sea Wolf ?
Reply
Not really as the ships needed to be rewired which could be costly
Hmm interesting Marhalim, I thought Type 31 have 2 Bofors cannon. So why the CGI shows Rolling Airframe Missile? Is it an older CGI?
Reply
Not sure I downloaded it direct from the RN website. Maybe its an old one
Will the rmn replaced the sea wolf?
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AFAIK no
"UK has also had its fair share of defence clunker"
The biggest clunker was their QE carriers. Initially budgeted at 4.1Bil pounds they finally costed 7.6Bil pounds or at 85% cost overrun. Our LCS is at worst 33-40% overrun compared to that.
It's worth noting that there is nothing wrong with the QEs per se. The RN had its say in the specs and is getting what they wanted.
The question is the size of the air group that the government is willing to fund.
@joe
"The biggest clunker was their QE carriers. "
Ships aren't my thing but the QE aircraft carrier looks awesome.
AM - “It’s worth noting that there is nothing wrong with the QEs per se”
Yes there isn’t - they are what they are. Like everything else the Brits have; they’re intended to tie in with U.S. assets. As such, the small wing and other limitations (in comparison with USN carriers) aren’t necessarily prohibiting factors.. What’s an issue is that with only 2: maintaining a constant presence when high tempo is required is an issue.
As for cost overruns: what major programme isn’t hit by them?
@AM
Nothing wrong with the QEs except for their obscene price when compared to initial budget. The same as our LCS too. Disregarding of RN wishes, the UK Govt did flip-flop-flip between STOVL & CATOBAR F-35s and related ship features. If it weren't for the prohibitive cost, 1 ship would be STOVL and the other would be CATOBAR, certainly not what the RN/RAF would want in operation.
@Taib
The UK carrier programme was interesting as that issue revolves around shenanigans, self-interests, bad and/or indecisions from politicians of both sides, and the malaise of UK defence stemming from decades ago in the 1966 DWP. it took so long for a decision to be made, that it would have died in stillborn if it weren't for Brit mentality to persevere thru hardships. Colour me surprised.