Royal Navy to Upgrade its Phalanx Weapon Systems

Released on Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Raytheon Company has been awarded a $57 million contract to produce 16 Phalanx Block 1B upgrade kits for the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The contract was signed between Devonport Royal Dockyard Limited (DRDL), the UK Ministry of Defence's prime contractor for Phalanx, and Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL), the UK subsidiary of Raytheon Company.

Block 1B, with its surface mode and enhanced sensors, will provide the Royal Navy with unequalled capabilities in near-shore, littoral environments. The latest Phalanx upgrade will significantly enhance the ship self-defense capabilities of the Royal Navy.

All 16 kits will be produced at Raytheon Missile System's Louisville, Kentucky, facility and installed at the DRDL. The first kit will be delivered in September 2007 with the remaining kits following during a six-year period.

Phalanx 1B provides protection to ships and their crews against an increased number of threats including small, fast gunboats; standard and guided artillery; helicopters; mines and a variety of shore-launched, anti-ship missiles.

Phalanx is a rapid-fire, computer-controlled radar and 20-mm Gatling-gun system. The Block 1B, the most advanced system, provides unequalled capabilities in near-shore, littoral environments. It contains a fully integrated radar-infrared surveillance and tracking sensor suite, which provides for automatic or manual acquisition and track of enemy threats. This capability coupled with the fire power of the six optimized

gun barrels guarantees protection of crews and their ships against an increased number of threats. More than 895 Phalanx systems have been built and deployed in the navies of 22 nations.