BAE Systems has received a £185M contract from the Ministry of Defence to provide the gun system, known as the Maritime Indirect Fires System (MIFS), for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship.
This award follows the MOD’s announcement of BAE Systems as the preferred bidder last year after a competitive process.
Under the contract, the company will manufacture three MIFS Integrated Gunnery Systems (IGS) and one trainer system for the Royal Navy. The MIFS IGS includes the 5-inch, 62-calibre Mk45 Mod 4 Naval Gun System, along with an automated ammunition handling system, gun fire control system and qualified ammunition. The contract includes an option for five additional systems for the remainder of the Navy’s Type 26 fleet.
The Mk45 is in service with the US Navy and ten other allied nations. More than 240 Mk45 guns have been delivered into service globally.
Work on the contract for the Type 26 ships will be performed at BAE Systems’ facilities at Louisville, Kentucky and Minneapolis, Minnesota in the US and at Barrow-in-Furness, Frimley, and Glascoed in the UK, with deliveries expected from 2020.
The UK Government committed to buy eight of the advanced Type 26 Global Combat Ships in its 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), which will in time replace the anti-submarine warfare Type 23 frigates. Type 26 will be globally deployable and capable of undertaking a wide range of roles from high-intensity warfare to humanitarian assistance, either operating independently or as part of a task group. The ship has been designed with an acoustically quiet hull and there is flexibility in the design to allow Type 26 to be upgraded as new technology develops to ensure that it remains relevant to future requirements.
Newly appointed Defence Procurement Minister Harriett Baldwin MP said: “Our growing defence budget means we can invest in a cutting-edge weapon system for the Royal Navy’s next-generation Global Combat Ship at the best value for taxpayers. Along with sustaining highly skilled jobs across the country, this contract underlines our commitment and demonstrates continued momentum in the programme.”
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BAE Systems Defence Procurement Defence Procurement Minister Government Harriett Baldwin MP MOD Royal Navy UK US Navy
Post written by: Vicky Maggiani
Vicky has worked in media for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.
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