The UK's vibrant defence electronics sector is working hard to meet the requirements of the country's networked armed forces as they enter a new era
The UK military is entering a period of transformation, with its rising need to conduct information-heavy networked operations placing new demands on the nation's defence electronics industry. A number of the UK's leading defence contractors are active in this sector, and are working to deliver the next generation of sensor systems and other key technologies that will herald the country's transition to fielding a fully network-enabled capability.
The UK's leading defence concern, BAE Systems, is at the forefront of the nation's defence electronics industry, primarily through its Avionics business unit. Employing about 9,400 people at sites across the country, the unit supplies navigation and sensor systems, plus electronic warfare, avionics and communications equipment to the domestic and global defence markets. Electronics and software accounted for 26% of BAE's sales last year.
One of the company's lead projects is to help develop the radar for the four-nation Eurofighter programme as part of the multinational Euroradar joint venture. BAE's Avionics house is prime contractor for the Eurofighter Typhoon's Captor multimode radar, and manufactures its processor and receiver.
More than 100 Captor units have been delivered so far. BAE is also part of the Eurodass partnership responsible for producing the Typhoon's defensive aids subsystem, which will protect the aircraft against missile attack. This includes elements such as missile approach warners and towed radar decoys.
Self protection
BAE Avionics also supplies key self-protection equipment for large military aircraft including a key part of the directional infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) system now in use on at least 22 aircraft types in various countries. BAE has delivered more than 450 transmitters for Northrop Grumman's Nemesis DIRCM system and is conducting risk-reduction activities leading to the development of a laser jam head to provide enhanced protection against infrared-guided missile threats (Flight International, 30 March-5 April).
Earlier this year, the company also opened a laser centre of excellence at its Crewe Toll site in Edinburgh to develop technologies for the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's electro-optical targeting system, which is expected to equip all JSFs delivered to at least the UK and the USA.
Another leading BAE Avionics product is the Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids System (HIDAS). This is now being integrated with the British Army's Boeing/ Westland Apache AH1 attack helicopters, the 67th and last of which will be accepted during this month's Farnborough International air show in the UK. The HIDAS design has also been selected to equip Boeing AH-64 Apaches operated by Greece and Kuwait.
BAE's Avionics unit recorded sales of £1.1 billion ($2 billion) last year. "The outlook for Avionics remains good, with many state-of-the-art technologies coming to the market in targeting systems, control and display systems and electronic warfare and countermeasures," says the company's 2003 annual report.
BAE is also strengthening its defence electronics expertise through its continuing growth in the US market, where it now has more than 23,000 employees. This expansion has been achieved partly through its acquisition of US electronics companies such as Sanders, formerly part of Lockheed Martin.
The UK's other leading defence electronics house is the "multi-domestic" concern Thales, a self-proclaimed leader in UK intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) technologies. French-owned Thales gained a major foothold in the UK in 2000, throughthe former Thomson-CSF's acquisition ofRacal Defence Electronics.
The company now supports several of the UK's leading ISTAR projects, including the modernisation of the Royal Navy's Westland Sea King AEW2 airborne early-warning helicopters to the improved Sea King ASaC7 airborne surveillance and control standard, which made its combat debut in last year's Iraq campaign.
A key target for Thales is winning the £800 million contract to develop, deliver and support the UK's cross-service Watchkeeper unmanned air vehicle system through a contest with the USA's Northrop Grumman. Thales says its selection would lead to the UK manufacture of the WK180 and WK450 air vehicles - variants of Elbit Systems' Silver Arrow Hermes 180 and 450 UAVs, plus ground control stations, command posts, image exploitation and intelligence dissemination systems, all work that would retain and develop key skills in the UK defence electronics sector.
US foothold
The USA's leading defence contractors also have direct interests on the UK mainland, with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon all having UK subsidiaries. Many of these were established some years ago to support the UK's purchase of US-supplied equipment, but they now act as portals for the exchange of technologies and expertise on key defence- electronics systems, which brings benefits to both parties.
Lockheed Martin, prime contractor on the UK Royal Navy's AgustaWestland EH101 Merlin HM1 anti-submarine warfare helicopter programme, is transferring key skills from its US operations to the UK through this and other projects under a process it describes as "reach-back".
Long established as a guided weapons supplier to the UK armed forces, Raytheon is growing its activities through its UK-based Raytheon Systems unit, which employs more than 1,600 people. The company's first major success came in 1999, when it secured a contract to supply the UK's Airborne Stand-off Radar (ASTOR) battlefield surveillance system.
The first of five mission-equipped Sentinel R1 ASTOR platforms made its first flight in the USA in late May, and the type will enter frontline service next year. Final preparation of the remaining aircraft and key command-and-control equipment is taking place at a specially built site at Broughton in Wales.
Raytheon is also prime contractor on the UK's Successor identification friend-or-foe system, which provides protection for a variety of airborne, land-based and maritime platforms.
General Dynamics of the USA is, meanwhile, leading the development and introduction of the UK's new Bowman battlefield communications system through a UK subsidiary. Declared operational earlier this year, Bowman will provide a digital breakthrough in networking land forces with airborne assets, such as battlefield utility and attack helicopters and close-air support aircraft.
CRAIG HOYLE / LONDON
Source: Flight International
