Thales UK Awarded Sonar 2076 Upgrade Contract

Released on Thursday, September 28, 2006

Thales UK has been awarded the contract worth some £30M for a major enhancement to the Trafalgar and Astute Class submarine sonar suites. Designated the Sonar 2076 Stage 5 programme, this upgrade will replace the existing inboard processing equipment with an open architecture COTS based processing system. As delegated design authority for Sonar 2076 Thales UK will be the lead sonar provider and lead system integrator.

Alex Dorrian, Chief Executive of Thales UK, said "I am very pleased that the MoD has selected Thales UK for this important upgrade programme and we look forward to continuing our long established relationship with the Royal Navy's Submarine Service, providing them with the state of the art world class capability."

The Stage 5 programme will be managed, developed and deployed by the Thales UK underwater systems business in Cheadle Heath, Manchester. This programme represents a significant investment in the UK Sonar industrial base, and further strengthens Thales UK position in supporting the UK submarine flotilla.

This upgrade builds on the successfully deployed 2076 Stage 4 system currently in service on Trafalgar Class submarines and forms a key element in the UK Ministry of Defence Common Core Combat System initiative (CCCS) championed by the MoD Integrated Project Teams (ASM, UWS and Sub IPTs).

Introducing agility and flexibility, the Stage 5 programme will ensure that Sonar 2076 remains the most comprehensive and highly capable in-service sonar in the world, thus sustaining a key military advantage for the Royal Navy.