SEA will provide in-service support to the Combat System Highway (CSH) on Royal Navy ships as part of a new five-year contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD).
The CSH is a crucial element to the Royal Navy’s ships, which allows operators to determine combat system status and ensure mission availability. The CSH provides a resilient, high speed communication backbone, fitted in surface vessels to pass information between command, control, sensor and weapon systems (member systems) to enable an integrated combat system.
The contract includes a wide range of in-service support for Royal Navy surface ships and shore-based facilities, including performance monitoring, ongoing technical refresh, and obsolescence reporting as the equipment Technical Authority for the CSH network. SEA will provide support for a number of Royal Navy ships, including the Type 23s, the RFA Royal Victoria Auxiliary Oiler Replacement ship and Landing Platform Dock ships.
Having designed the CSH in the 1980s, SEA has provided in-service support throughout the life of the network, including several iterations of technology refresh. The experience and intellectual property of the system within SEA’s team of in-service engineers allows them to provide support and rapid response to technical issues.
“Ensuring the availability of equipment is a crucial aspect of the Royal Navy’s operational effectiveness,” said Kerry Parfitt, Head of Maritime Support & Services at SEA. “Our skilled team have the extensive technical knowledge and skills to carry out the works required. Our in-service support team has a history of working closely with the Royal Navy to support their systems and responding to emerging demands. We’re proud of our role in supporting the Royal Navy in being mission-ready and able to respond to threats.”
SEA is currently under contract for a number of on-going support projects with the Royal Navy. It is providing technology refresh and in-service support for the torpedo launcher and countermeasures systems on the Royal Navy’s Type 23 ships as part of a recent contract, giving the in-service team an existing knowledge of the interface of these systems, which are connected to the CSH. It is also under contract manage and update the Royal Navy’s in-service sonar equipment.
Samantha Bassett, Project Manager, Fleet Wide Combat Management Systems, said: “With a detailed technical knowledge of the system and proven level of service on the CSH, SEA has demonstrated its ability to maintain the CSH’s mission availability. We have a productive working relationship with SEA’s in-service support team and look forward to working with them through the duration of this contract.”
