Hi-tech weapons handling system for new aircraft carriers

[Anth]

The Royal Navy is to get a hi-tech system to automate and track the movement of large quantities of munitions on board its two new aircraft carriers, thanks to a multi-million pound investment by the Ministry of Defence, it was announced today, Monday 1 September 2008.


An artist's impression of the Future Carrier
[Picture: MOD]

The system, which will help crews manage the largest ships in the Royal Navy, is part of a £51m package of important equipment contracts for the future aircraft carriers that will be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.

Contracts have been placed for:

• The manufacture and installation of the Highly Mechanised Weapons Handling System for the two ships, valued at £34million;
• Supply of uptakes and downtakes systems for both ships, valued at £8million;
• Development and supply of Air Traffic Control software, valued at £5million;
• Wholeship Pump Integration, including supply of pumps and associated systems engineering, valued at over £3million;
• Emergency Diesel Generators, valued at over £1million.

Minister for Defence Equipment and Support Baroness Taylor said:

"An equipment programme of this scale has clear benefits not only to the Royal Navy and UK shipyards but to industry throughout the country. It truly is a national project. Defence Equipment and Support continues to work closely with industry to deliver the capabilities our Armed Forces need for now and the future."

MOD Defence Equipment and Support Director General Ships, Rear Admiral Bob Love, added:

"These contracts are the culmination of comprehensive design, engineering and commercial preparations completed earlier in the project.

"The Highly Mechanised Weapons Handling System is at the cutting edge of British engineering and will enable a crew of similar size to the current Invincible Class carriers to operate a vessel that is considerably larger. Its development and demonstration is an achievement of which we can be proud."

MOD News Link

[Hooch Turner]

Sounds great on paper, but where are they going to get the money from? We can't even afford basic gear for ground troops at the moment, and its only getting worse as we spread the Tri-services resources thinnier and thinner across the globe.