SEA to supply Royal Navy with S2050TR transducers
Cohort plc subsidiary SEA has been awarded a contract from Ultra Electronics to supply transducers as part of the Sonar 2050 Technology Refresh programme (S2050TR) for the Royal Navy.
SEA has signed a five-year contract with Ultra that will cover the duration of the Type 23 programme (above); this has also strengthened SEA’s hopes of contributing to the Type 26 Global Combat Ship programme.
The £2 million contract, comprising eight ship sets, will support the replacement of the Sonar 2050 systems on the RN’s current Type 23 frigates, enhancing a world-leading hull-mounted sonar capability that provides persistent surveillance against submarine and torpedo threats.
SEA will upgrade its established Tonpilz Transducer design to produce a new unit that will meet Ultra's requirements to fit its novel Digital Array Module design.
SEA Managing Director Steve Hill said: “This significant contract with Ultra is the start of an exciting few years for SEA and it will demonstrate our continued ability to support the Royal Navy T23 frigates. In addition, the agreement is important in helping us to play a role in the future RN programmes, besides supporting Ultra’s sonar capability for a growing global market.”
SEA has an established pedigree in sonar systems and has been supplying S2050 transducers and their relevant upgrades for the RN and export markets since 1980.