The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded BAE Systems a GBP 60 million (EUR 71.1 million) contract to upgrade the Royal Navy’s autonomous Sting Ray lightweight torpedo.
The company is tasked with designing and developing the Sting Ray torpedo upgrade over a four-year assessment phase, which will include the construction of prototypes and in-water trials.
The Sting Ray Mid Life Upgrade (SRMLU) contract will implement new technological features, including added deployment options, ensuring that the Sting Ray torpedo continues to meet the challenge of emerging threats now and into the future. The upgrade will see the current in-service Mod 1 version of the Sting Ray lightweight torpedo enhanced to a Mod 2 version, using advancements in technology to significantly enhance its anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
The torpedo is currently in service with armed forces around the world, including the UK Royal Navy and Royal Air Force (RAF), with the latter announcing its selection as part of its future torpedo capability on RAF Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in November 2023. Operational since the 1980s and designed to counter submarine targets of all types, Sting Ray can be launched from either ships or aircraft.
“The Sting Ray torpedo remains at the heart of anti-submarine warfare,” Scott Jamieson, managing director of BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “It’s a huge sign of confidence for the company to be entering the next phase of development and be able to demonstrate its additional capabilities.
“This contract is vitally important to the UK’s strategic underwater defence plans and an important step in the advancement of our capability for decades to come,” Jamieson added.
“This is great news for the Royal Navy and other Sting Ray users,” said Commodore Steve Bolton, the Royal Navy’s deputy director for aviation programmes. “We are taking what is already a very good anti-submarine warfare weapon and turning it into the best in class.”
The new contract will support more than 80 highly skilled engineering jobs at BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business in Portsmouth as well as around 20 specialist manufacturing jobs at BAE Systems’ site in Hillend in Fife. It will also create additional investment in UK small/medium enterprises and high-tech suppliers across the UK.
