BAE Systems Six-Year £230 Million Contract
The UK MoD has contracted BAE Systems to provide repair and maintenance for the Royal Navy’s SPEARFISH and STING RAY torpedoes over a six-year period, the Ministry announced on 27 January. The £230 million (€259 million) Torpedoes Repair and Maintenance (TRAM) contract replaces the previous Torpedo Capability Contract (TCC) with BAE Systems which ran for 10 years.
The sonar-guided SPEARFISH is carried on the ASTUTE- and TRAFALGAR-class hunter-killer submarines and the VANGUARD-class nuclear missile boats. STING RAY torpedoes are deployed on a variety of surface vessels and the MERLIN and WILDCAT helicopters.
The contract includes a full suite of maintenance activity, ranging from technical repair and provision of spares, to stock management, logistics and trials support. Ensuring safe storage is vital, so the contract also offers safety, environment and engineering advice to support the continued secure use of the weapons.
“BAE Systems’ teams have developed, manufactured, and supported the UK’s torpedoes since the 1970s. Torpedoes have a vital role in layered anti-submarine warfare. We are […] delivering these critical support services to the Royal Navy through a combination of our agile and innovative forward thinking and our heritage and expertise,” commented Dr Brooke Hoskins, Director of Products and Training Services for BAE Systems Maritime Services.